THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


385Wash'n  St. Boston 


w 


ACROSS    WIDEST    AFRICA 


A.   Ilc-niy  Saxayc  I.aiulor.  iVdein,  tlic  faithful  Scmuili. 


ACROSS 
WIDEST  AFRICA 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  COUNTRY  AND  PEOPLE 
OF  EASTERN,  CENTRAL  AND  WESTERN  AFRICA 
AS  SEEN  DURING  A  TWELVE  MONTHS'  JOURNEY 
FROM  DJIBUTI  TO  CAPE  VERDE        J.         J.         J. 


BY 

A.    HENRY    SAVAGE    LANDOR 

AUTHOR    OF 
In  the  Forbidden  Land/'  "Tibet   and  Nepal/'  "China  and 
the  Allies/'  "Across  Coveted  Lands,"  &c. 


Illustrated  by  i6o   Half-tone   Reproductions    of  Photographs   and  a 
Map  of  the  Route 


Volume    I 


LONDON 

HURST    AND    BLACKETT    LTD. 

182,     HIGH     HOLBORN,    W.C. 
1907 

kU    rights     reserved 


f  CHAPEL H 
RIVER  2|a 
PRESS M 


351 
V.I 


BY   GRACIOUS    PERMISSION 

I 

DEDICATE   THIS   WORK 

TO 

HIS   MAJESTY   VICTOR    EMMANUEL    III. 
KING    OF    ITALY 


PREFACE. 

The  journey  across  widest  Africa  described  in  this  book  was 
over  8,500  miles  in  length,  and  occupied  364  days.  Pleasure 
was  its  sole  object.  No  white  person  accompanied  the  Author, 
who  bore  the  entire  cost  of  the  expedition. 

In  the  transliteration  of  native  names,  the  local  sound  has 
with  a  few  unavoidable  exceptions  been  given,  the  vowels  to  be 
pronounced  as  in  Italian. 

A.    HENRY   SAVAGE   LANDOR. 


CONTENTS   OF   VOLUME  I. 


CHAP. 
I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVII  I. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 


PAGE 

I 

lO 

19 

35 
49 

76 

85 

100 
110 
118 
126 
136 
146 

158 
169 
178 
186 
196 
205 
214 
229 


Xll 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 
XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 

XXXIII. 

XXXIV. 

XXXV. 


)'AGB 

237 
250 

261 

270 

280 

290 

302 
312 

323 

338 
351 
367 
383 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS   TO  VOLUME   I. 


Danakil.      Adem,    an    Issa 
In  the  backm-ound  can  be 


1.  A.    Henry    Savage    Landor.       Adem,   the   faithful 

Somali     . 

2.  Author's  attendants. 

Somali.     Danakil 

3.  Scenery  near  Harrar, 

seen  a  hedge  of  cacti 

4.  Bird's-eye  view  of  Harrar 

5.  A  street  in  Harrar         .... 

6.  Ras-Makonnen  and  his  son   . 

7.  The  main  square,  Harrar 

8.  The  meat  market,  Harrar 

9.  Danakil  chief  and  attendants 
10.   Danakil  and  Gurgura  filling  skin  bags  with 

at  a  well  ...... 

ri.   Hawash  river,  showing  volcanic  fissure  . 

12.  Adem    bartering    with     Carayu    women. 

dollars  useless  .... 

13.  View    of    escarpment    along    the    Hawash 

(Abyssinia)       ..... 

14.  Galla  woman  selling  butter    . 

15.  Gurgura  woman    ..... 

16.  The  high  escarpment  at  Baltchi  (Abyssinia) 

17.  Emperor  Menelik's  palace,  Adis-Ababa. 

18.  The    single-roomed    hotel   at   Adis-Ababa, 

sleeping  quarters  were  in  the  central  pagoda-like 
structure  ....... 

19.  Abyssinian  soldiers  waiting  for  the  Empress  Taitu  . 

20.  The  custom  house  and  market  in  Adis-Ababa 

21.  H.  M.  Emperor  Menelik       .         .         .         .         . 

22.  Emperor  Menelik  watching   the   arrival   of   7,980 

guests      ........ 


water 


Silver 


river 


The 


Frontispiece 
To  face  page     1 6 

„    ,.    22 

28 

32 

38 

52 

>>    •»  54 

58 

)j    >»    58 

70 


74 
76 
82 
86 

90 


XIV 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


2  2>- 

24. 

25- 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 

30. 
31- 


33- 
34- 
35- 
36. 
37- 
38. 

39- 
40. 

41. 

42. 

43- 

44. 

45- 
46. 

47- 
48. 
49. 

50' 

51- 

52- 

53- 


Guests  on  their  way  to  Emperor  Menelik's  lunch 

party        ........ 

Menehk's  mule  and  escort    .... 

Menelik's  High  Court  of  Justice  (Adis-Ababa) 

Galla 

x\uthor's  caravan  fording  the  Gibby  river 

A  big  Jmrca  tree  at  Tchara  (Western  Abyssinia) 

Galla    of  Western   Abyssinia,    with    typical    sun 

shade      ....... 

Author's  Abyssinian  muleteers 

Governor  Biru,  of  Bure,  and  his  wife 

A  suspension  bridge  of  vines  over  the  Baro  stream 

(Western  Abyssinia)  .... 

Yambo         ....... 

Yambo  huts,  showing  cemented  court  and  platform 
Women's  market  in  the  Yambo  country 
Yambo,  the  giant  tribe  of  the  Baro  river 
Yambo  store-houses      ..... 

General  Gatacre's  grave  at  Gambela  (covered  with 

thorns  to  prevent  hyenas  digging  up  the  body) 
Yambo,  on  the  Baro  river     .... 

Nuer  village  ...... 

Author's  mules  crossing  the  Baro  river  . 
Stampeding  Nuer  women  (showing  great  length  of 

their  legs) 

Nuer.     Showing  curious  coiffures  and  skin  painted 

with  ashes        ...... 

In  the  Anuak  country  ..... 

Nuer  musician  and  poet        .... 

Nuer  village 

Nuer,  the  long-legged  people 

Nuer  men  and  women  .... 

Anuak  men   decorated   with    cicatrices  upon    the 

chest  and  shoulders  .... 

Author's   three    pet    ostriches    and    leper    camp 

follower  ....... 

Shiluk,  and  one  of  their  boats  of  fascines 
"Sometimes    small   fish   is   caught    on    the   Nile, 

sometimes  not  so  small "  . 
Abyssinian   horse    presented    to    Author   by   Ras- 

Makonnen.      (This  photo,  was  taken  after  the 

horse  had  travelled  from  Harrar  to  the  Nile) 


To  face 

page 

94 
98 
102 
138 
154 
160 

164 
172 
198 

206 
210 
214 
216 

220 

" 

" 

224 

226 

230 

234 
236 

240 
242 

244 

246 

250 
256 

260 
276 
278 

292 

294 


298 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


XV 


54.  Escort  of  Sudanese  soldiers  and  Author's  Abys- 

sinian muleteers  leaving  up  the  Sobat  river  in  a 
steel  felucca  lent  by  the  Sirdar . 

55.  Shiluk  warriors     ...... 

56.  Shiluk  hurling  spears    ..... 

57.  Shiluk  warriors     ...... 

58.  Author's  caravan  arriving  at  Fort  Desaix  (Wau) 

59.  Adern,  the  Author's  faithful  Somali 

60.  Women  at  a  well  in    the  western  Bahr-el-Ghazal 

(The  bucket  belonged  to  Author  and  was  not  a 
native  vessel)  . 

61.  Photograph  of  two  maneless  lions,  taken  by  Author 

late  one  afternoon  on  a  rainy  day 

62.  Dam  Zebir  fort    . 

63.  Aja      . 

64.  Aja  and  Banda     . 

65.  Kresh  and  Yango 

66.  Nugulguleh  tribe  . 

67.  Furogheh  tribe     . 
Map  of  Africa  showing  the  Author's  route 


To  face  page   300 

304 
306 
310 
338 
342 


346 

370 
374 
378 
378 
378 
385 
385 
At  end 


ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  am  a  worm,  such  a  worm  !"....  was  the 
exclamation  of  a  tall,  pleasant-looking  Armenian,  whom 
I  met  on  my  arrival  in  Djibuti,  and  who  heartily  grasped 
my  hand.  ..."  And,"  he  added,  "  I  represent  .  .  .  ." 
Here  he  quoted  the  name  of  a  notorious  but  not  very 
notable  London  halfpenny  newspaper. 

It  had  required  no  effort  on  my  part  to  believe  that 
the  two  statements — usually  in  the  inverted  order — 
went  together,  but  for  curiosity's  sake  I  meekly  begged 
to  inquire  of  my  interlocutor  : 

"  What  sort  of  a  worm  are  you  ?  " 

"Oh,  sir  ...  .  such  a  worm,  such  a  worm!"  And 
with  the  delightful  hesitation  of  stammering  people,  as 
well  as  much  muscular  straining  of  the  neck,  he  eventu- 
ally burst  out  :  "  I  mean  ....a.  ...a.  ...a 
book-worm  !  And  ....  you  write  books  ....  and 
....  I  am  such — such  a  worm." 

I  must  confess  that  one  of  the  principal  reasons  that 

had  taken  me  to  Africa  was  to  get  away  from  people  and 

books,   book-talk,   reporters   and  newspapers.     To   find 

myself  on  landing  confronted  with  an  interviewer  was 

VOL.  I.  I 


2  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

a  most  unexpected  surprise — almost  a  grief.  Inter- 
views are  a  nuisance  at  all  times,  but  with  the  ther- 
mometer registering  iio°  in  the  shade,  the  Djibuti 
hotel  a  little  worse  than  the  accommodation  one  pro- 
vides for  dogs,  and  the  food — oh,  the  food !  .  .  .  . 
hardly  deserving  such  a  name,  this  was,  indeed,  a  severe 
trial. 

I  am  superstitious  and  get  more  and  more  supersti- 
tious every  day.  All  people  are  superstitious  more  or 
less,  but  will  not  own  it.     I  do. 

I  am  a  firm  believer  in  good  and  evil  omens,  and 
though  omens  seldom  come  true  I  cannot  help  going  on 
believing  in  them.  Before  I  started,  and  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  particular  journey,  all  the  omens  were 
bad. 

Having  one  day  taken  it  into  my  head  to  go  across 
Africa — I  was  in  London  at  the  time — I  proceeded  to 
the  Charing  Cross  railway  station  to  inquire  at  what 
time  the  continental  train  would  leave  the  next  morning. 
Having  received  the  required  information,  I  was  pro- 
ceeding to  walk  out  of  the  station  when  the  roof  came 
down  with  great  fracas.  On  leaving  my  fiat  to  drive  to 
the  station  en  route  for  Marseilles  a  funeral  crossed  my 
road — another  sign  of  bad  luck. 

Needless  to  say,  the  passage  across  the  Channel  was 
fearful,  and  the  crossing  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  from 
Marseilles  to  Port  Said  worse  still.  Deck-houses  were 
washed  away,  skylights  smashed  by  the  waves,  the 
saloon  and  cabins  flooded,  and  we  were  two  days  late 
in  reaching  our  destination  owing  to  the  force  of  the 
gale  encountered. 

After  I  had  set  foot  on  terra  firma  again  at  Port  Said, 
and  when  I  was  driving  in  a  cab  to  the  railway  station 


DJIBUTI  3 

in  order  to  proceed  by  train  to  Cairo,  the  conveyance, 
overladen  with  luggage,  with  dragomans  and  porters 
standing  on  the  steps,  sitting  on  the  box  and  clinging 
behind,  three  wheels  out  of  four  of  the  vehicle  suddenly 
gave  way  in  ploughing  through  the  heavy  sand,  and 
further  progress  was  temporarily  suspended.  In  a 
moment,  however,  dozens  of  men  ran  up  to  help,  the 
baggage  was  conveyed  to  the  station  upon  men's  heads, 
and  Cairo  was  safely  reached. 

A  few  days  were  quite  sufficient  to  settle  all  the  last 
details  for  my  transcontinental  journey.  At  the  British 
Agency,  Lord  Cromer,  Mr.  Boyle,  and  Mr.  Cecil  Higgins 
showed  me  unbounded  civility,  and  did  all  in  their 
power  to  give  me  what  official  help  they  could.  In  the 
Sudan  Government,  Captain  R.  Owen  furnished  me 
with  much  lucid  information  regarding  some  of  the 
country  under  British  rule  that  I  should  have  to  cross, 
and  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  him  and  to  Colonel 
Watson,  A.D.C.  to  the  Khedive,  as  well  as  to  the 
officers  in  the  Citadel,  for  a  great  deal  of  thoughtful 
kindness  shown  me. 

Having  accomplished  all  I  wished  to  do  in  Cairo, 
having  purchased  more  rifles  for  my  men  and  more 
tents,  I  again  returned  to  Port  Said  and  embarked  on  a 
Messagerie  boat,  the  Oxus^  ptyii^g  to  French  Somaliland. 

I  disembarked  at  Djibuti  on  January  5th,  1906. 
Djibuti  was  gaily  decorated  owing  to  the  arrival  in  the 
harbour  of  some  Russian  warships  which  had  been 
interned  in  the  Philippine  Islands  during  the  Russian  and 
Japanese  war,  and  one  or  two  English  war  vessels  were 
also  in  the  harbour.  Those  who  have  visited  Djibuti 
remember  and  speak  of  it  as  the  most  odious  place  they 
have  ever  seen.     For  my  part,  I  have  seen  places  as 

VOL.    I.  I* 


4  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

odious  as  Djibuti,  but  never  one  more  odious.  It  has 
all  the  drawbacks  of  a  sprouting  civilization,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  highly-respectable  French 
officials  and  a  few  merchants,  the  white  people  one 
meets  are  not  quite  so  attractive  as  they  might  be. 

The  Governor's  palace  is  quite  imposing,  although 
somewhat  out  of  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  town. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  make  streets  at  right 
angles,  and  there  is  even  a  square,  with  a  well-patronized 
caf^.  There  is  a  saying  in  France  among  Colonials  that 
the  only  vegetation  of  Djibuti  consists  of  three  cast- 
iron  trees  in  this  particular  square,  but  when  I  was 
in  Djibuti  even  that  much  "  vegetation "  had  dis- 
appeared, if  ever  it  had  been  there  at  all. 

The  town  is  built  upon  a  barren  plain  divided  into 
two  sections  connected  by  a  road  reclaimed  from  the 
sea.  The  French  Governor  most  kindly  offered  every 
possible  assistance,  should  I  need  it,  and  I  had  the  plea- 
sure of  meeting  one  or  two  of  the  principal  traders  in  the 
place.  Mr.  Kevorkhoff,  a  Russian  Armenian,  who  has 
made  a  considerable  fortune  in  the  country,  seemed  to 
have  a  store  well-fitted  for  colonial  purposes,  his  trade 
being  mostly,  I  think,  in  Abyssinian  imports  and 
exports,  firearms  for  the  Negus'  people  and  provisions 
for  Europeans.  In  the  afternoon  he  drove  me  some 
miles  out  of  the  town  to  show  me  the  public  garden,  the 
pride  of  the  Djibuti  residents.  The  pride  was  greater 
than  the  garden.  Many  plants  were  shown  me  which 
will  some  day  grow,  I  suppose,  and  no  doubt  if  people 
keep  on  pouring  water  upon  them,  in  future  times  far 
removed  there  will  be  a  few  acres  of  luxuriant  vegeta- 
tion. If  not,  it  will  not  be  for  the  lack  of  interest, 
expense  and  trouble  bestowed  by  the  residents  in  their 


A   TRANSIT   TRADE  5 

endeavour  to  satisfy  the  craving  for  a  little  verdure  in 
so  barren  and  hot  a  region. 

France  annexed  this  portion  of  the  Somali  coast  as 
long  ago  as  1858,  but  the  town  of  Djibuti  itself  only 
dates  from  1896,  when  the  Governor's  residence  was 
removed  from  Obock  on  the  north  side  of  the  entrance  to 
the  Gulf  of  Toudjourrah. 

The  trade  of  the  place  is  mostly  a  transit  trade. 
Besides  Mr.  Kevorkhoff,  there  are  a  number  of  French, 
Italian  and  Greek  traders,  some  quite  successful  in  a 
comparatively  small  way,  others  not  quite  so  successful. 
The  chief  profit,  I  believe,  is  made  by  importing  arms  and 
Gras  cartridges  into  Abyssinia,  as  well  as  exporting 
coffee  of  most  delicious  quality,  ivory  and  rubber  from 
that  country. 

There  are  few  places  where  the  hours  pass  more 
slowly  than  at  Djibuti.  I  am  one  of  those  persons  who 
can  live  quite  happily  on  almost  nothing  so  long  as  that 
"  almost  nothing  "  is  good,  but  I  abhor  pompous  bad- 
ness. Hence,  some  miserable  hours  were  those  spent 
in  the  capital  of  French  Somaliland.  No  doubt  it  may 
impress  some  people  to  see  the  hotel  proprietor  parade 
about  with  decorations  on  his  chest  for  services  rendered 
or  not  to  some  country  or  other  ;  and  perhaps  it  satisfies 
some  people  to  hear  this  grand  person  shout  and  order 
servants  about — orders  which  were  never  obeyed.  Per- 
haps some  people  are  even  proud  to  put  up  in  one  of 
the  filthy  rooms  of  the  hotel  belonging  to  so  distinguished 
a  personage.  After  inspecting  every  room  in  the  place, 
I  eventually  hired  the  only  one  in  which  it  Wcis  possible 
to  live.  A  dingy  double  chamber,  with  a  stinking 
carpet,  two  or  three  beds  with  dubious-looking  linen, 
a  washing  basin  ....  Brr  !  ....  if  one  were  given 


6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

to  slight  exaggeration  one  might  propose  to  make  it  the 
basis  of  a  profitable  grease  factory.  And  the  towels 
....  good  gracious  me  !  .  .  .  .  when  had  they  last 
been  to  the  laundry  ? 

"  And  for  all  this^  how  much,  if  you  please  ?  "  I 
meekly  inquired. 

''About  one  louis  a  day  with  little  extras;"  extras 
which  came  to  two  louis  when  the  bill  arrived. 

It  was  not  possible  to  remain  in  the  room  during  the 
day,  so  notwithstanding  the  sun,  which  is  indeed  scorch- 
ing at  D Jibuti,  I  went  out  for  a  walk.  The  sight  of  a 
harbour  is  always  interesting.  In  the  Djibuti  anchor- 
age there  is  plenty  of  life.  French  steamers  on  their 
way  to  Madagascar  and  the  Far  East  generally  call  here, 
and  also  many  warships,  English,  French  and  Russian. 
The  lateen  sails  of  Arab  boats,  which  were  numerous  in 
the  harbour,  always  add  picturesqueness  to  a  seascape. 
These  boats  are  wonders  of  naval  construction,  with 
their  admirable  lines  for  speed  and  rough  seafaring. 

Still,  one  could  not  look  at  the  harbour  the  whole  day 
or  walk  about  the  town,  three  minutes  being  the  longest 
time  one  can  occupy  in  travelling  across  its  length  and 
about  two  minutes  across  its  width.  The  sand  in  which 
one  sank  was  burning,  and  radiated  the  torrid  rays  of 
the  sun.  The  streets  were  deserted,  except  for  a  pariah 
dog  or  two  drowsily  sleeping  in  what  little  shade  they 
got  inside  a  doorway  ;  for  towards  noon  when  the  sun 
is  on  the  meridian,  the  shadow  is  directly  under  one's 
person,  and  vertical  walls  give  no  shadow  at  all.  If  by 
chance  one  of  these  dogs  got  up  and  barked  at  the 
unusual  sight  of  a  stranger  wandering  about  in  the 
middle  of  the  day,  one  immediately  heard  female  voices 
of   Greek    and   Italian   nationalities   call   out   words   of 


THE   NATIVE   SETTLEMENT  7 

endearment  from  balconies  and  doorways.  These  were 
the  only  people  who  were  awake — people  like  that 
always  are — but  all  the  others  were  asleep,  fast  asleep, 
with  all  the  light  shut  out  of  their  houses  by  screens  and 
by  the  large  verandahs  surrounding  the  houses.  It  is 
only  towards  the  evening  that  the  good  people  begin  to 
wake  up  again. 

The  houses  in  the  European  settlement  were  not 
much  to  look  at,  but  they  were  practically  built  to  suit 
the  climate,  with  its  hot  winds  and  torrid  but  healthy 
heat.  There  were  no  glass  panes  to  the  windows,  and 
the  Indian  punkah  had  been  generally  adopted  in  order 
to  make  life  possible  in  the  rooms.  The  moment  one 
entered  a  house  one  felt  quite  stifled. 

There  was  an  ice  factory  in  Djibuti,  a  great  boon  to 
the  residents  when  it  worked,  but  it  had  a  way  of  stop- 
ping when  it  was  most  needed. 

More  interesting  than  the  foreign  settlement  was 
certainly  the  native  town.  There  were  three  main 
agglomerations  of  huts,  of  which  Djibuti  was  the  prin- 
cipal, then  Bunder  and  Djedid,  as  well  as  another, 
Boulers,  on  the  way  to  Zeila  in  British  Somaliland. 
These  agglomerations  aroused  more  pity  than  interest. 
They  consisted  of  a  lot  of  miserable  shanties  erected 
anyhow,  with  putrid  beams,  rotten  mats,  and  pieces  of 
canvas  ;  some  only  had  thatched  roofs.  A  mortar  and 
pestle  here  and  there,  some  calabashes  and  a  few  pots 
and  pans  strewn  about  the  ground— that  was  all.  None 
of  these  buildings  were  of  a  permanent  nature,  but 
seemed  put  up  for  temporary  residences.  In  fact,  the 
population  of  Djibuti  was  not  a  lixed  population,  but  we 
find  that  many  neighbouring  tribes,  such  as  the  Somali, 
Haberual,  the  Issa,  and  the  Gadabursi,  as  well  as  Danakil, 


8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

come  here  occasionally  to  trade.  Then  many  Galla 
come  over  for  the  same  purpose,  and  even  Sudanese  and 
Swahilis  can  be  seen  in  Djibuti,  as  well  as  many  Arabs 
and  people  from  Aden  and  the  Arabian  coast. 

Enterprising  Hindu  merchants  have  also  found  their 
way  to  French  Somaliland  as  well  as  to  Abyssinia,  and 
they  manage  to  get  on  well.  They  are  very  saving  and 
sober ;  contented  with  comparatively  small  profits  ;  and 
fully  understanding  the  requirements  of  the  natives,  they 
manage  to  do  business  successfully  with  a  small  capital 
on  the  same  lines  as  the  Greeks  and  the  Armenians,  where 
French  and  English  merchants  could  not  run  a  business 
at  a  profit. 

Of  course,  especially  since  the  railway  was  opened, 
Djibuti  has  become  one  of  the  chief  outlets  of  Abyssinian 
trade.  One  often  sees  in  the  market-place  Abyssinians 
in  their  characteristic  trousers  and  a  scarf  draped 
over  the  shoulder.  One  is  struck  at  once  with  the  fact 
that  although  the  origin  of  their  race  was  evidently 
Semitic — as  is  clearly  shown  in  the  purer  types — in  the 
majority  of  cases  strong  negroid  influences  can  be 
detected. 

The  most  attractive  of  all  the  people  in  French 
Somaliland  are  possibly  the  Somali.  They  are  quite  of  a 
superior  type  to  any  I  found  on  my  journey  across  Africa 
from  east  to  west,  except  the  Senegalese  on  the  West 
Coast.  Although  not  superior  in  intelligence,  they  are 
superior  to  the  Senegalese  in  physical  appearance.  They 
are  tall,  thin  and  well-proportioned,  with  well-chiselled 
limbs  and  features,  a  good  arched  nose,  with  rather  finely- 
modelled  nostrils,  and  the  lips,  although  developed,  are 
not  so  offensively  full  as  with  most  of  the  negro  tribes 
of  the  central  zone  of  Africa.     Their  skin  is  of  a  smooth, 


THE   SOMALI  9 

delicate  texture,  with  no  superabundance  of  oily  excre- 
tion, as  in  most  negroid  races,  and  their  active  life  gives 
them  a  wiry,  supple  appearance  quite  devoid  of  extra 
flesh.  They  are  of  a  nervous  temperament,  extremely 
sober  and  moral — when  not  demorahzed  by  European 
ways — dignified  and  faithful  in  a  high  degree  to  their 
leaders.  There  is  no  bravado  about  them,  but  they  are 
somewhat  cruel  by  nature.  They  can  endure  hardships 
silently  and  stand  impassive  in  case  of  danger.  They 
are  excellent  walkers  and  camel-men,  and  many  of  them 
make  first-class  shikaris.  In  their  normal  condition 
they  are  nomad  shepherds.  One  of  their  chief  as  well 
as  most  remunerative  amusements  consists  in  raiding 
neighbouring  tribes,  and  in  this  they  show  great  cunning. 
As  far  as  I  could  judge,  the  Somali  seemed  quite 
happy  under  French  rule.  We  shall  see  that  of  the 
great  number  of  men  I  employed  during  my  journey 
across  Africa,  it  was  only  a  Somali — a  French  Somali — 
who  remained  faithful  to  the  very  end,  notwithstanding 
the  severe  hardships  and  sufferings  which  he  had  to 
endure. 


lO 


CHAPTER   II. 

Before  the  construction  of  the  railway  the  most  fre- 
quented route  from  Djibuti  to  Adis-Ababa  was  across 
the  Somah  desert  via  Gueldessa-Harrar-Tchertcher  as 
far  as  the  H awash  river,  then  by  the  escarpment  up  to 
the  plateau  on  which  the  Abyssinian  capital  is  to  be 
found. 

There  was  a  shorter  but  somewhat  more  dangerous 
route  branching  off  at  Adde  Galla,  when  the  railway 
was  completed  up  to  that  point,  across  the  Danakil 
desert,  doing  away  with  a  great  detour,  and  meeting 
the  high  trail  near  the  foot  of  the  escarpment.  Since 
the  railway  reached  its  present  terminus  at  Dire-Dawa 
another  route  has  been  most  generally  adopted,  between 
the  two  others,  much  shorter  than  the  one  by  Harrar 
and  the  Tchertcher  (462  kilometres),  and  a  great  deal 
safer  and  more  comfortable  than  the  one  by  the  desert — 
usually  called  the  "  Bilen  route  "  (420  kilometres).  This 
route  is  the  one  by  Assabot,  the  one  which  I  followed, 
some  385  kilometres  in  length,  along  fairly  level  country 
skirting  the  northern  spurs  of  the  Tchertcher. 

These  three  routes,  besides  one  much  longer  seldom 
used — named  the  ''  desert  route  " — which  describes  an 
immense  detour  near  Adis-Ababa  in  order  to  avoid  the 
steep  ascent  of  the  escarpment,  have  now  Dire-Dawa  as 
their  centre  on  the  east.    On  the  west  at  Tadetchimalka 


ROUTES   TO   ADIS   ABABA  ii 

they  all  meet  and  proceed  along  a  common  trail  as  far 
as  Adis-Ababa.  The  long  desert  route  is  sometimes 
used  by  caravans  of  camels,  as  the  humped  animals 
have  great  difficulty  in  climbing  up  the  steep  incline 
between  Tadetchimalka  and  Baltchi. 

According  to  surveys  made,  the  difference  between  the 
maximum  and  minimum  elevations  on  the  Bilen  route 
between  Dire-Dawa  and  Tadetchimalka  is  only  about 
two  thousand  feet,  the  highest  points  being  Dire-Dawa, 
which  my  own  aneroids  registered  at  3,500  feet  high, 
and  the  Hawash  river  2,800  feet.  Whereas  on  the 
Assabot  route,  as  we  shall  see,  the  difference  is  somewhat 
greater,  but  not  nearly  so  much  so  as  upon  the  Harrar- 
Tchertcher  route,  where,  at  Uarabile,  an  elevation  of 
7,189  feet  occurs,  and,  at  Kulubi,  the  trail  goes  over  a 
height  of  8,225  f^^t.  The  next  highest  altitudes  are  at 
Derru  and  at  Kunni,  the  lowest  point  of  the  many  undu- 
lations being  at  Irna,  where  the  trail  descends  to  1,763 
metres  (6,940  feet),  according  to  Marchand's  surveys. 

This  route  is  frequently  chosen  notwithstanding  its 
many  ups  and  downs  and  greater  length,  as  it  is  cooler 
owing  to  the  elevation  and  the  vegetation  all  along. 
It  has  everywhere  plenty  of  good  spring- water  and 
pastures  for  the  animals.  Supplies  of  food  can  be 
obtained  for  the  men  from  the  Galla  who  inhabit  the 
country,  and  who  are  great  cultivators  of  the  land. 

The  Bilen  desert  route  is  dry  and  extremely  hot; 
in  one  portion  water  must  be  carried  for  a  considerable 
distance — some  two  days'  hard  marching — and  no 
grazing  is  to  be  found  for  the  animals.  There  are,  of 
course,  no  villages,  and  therefore  no  food  supplies 
are  to  be  obtained,  while  the  Danakil  and  brigand 
tribes  frequently  take  advantage  of  the  tired  condition 


12  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

of  the  animals  to  raid  passing  caravans.  It  was  only 
in  1903  that  a  French  reporter,  travelling  with  the 
MacMillan  expedition,  Monsieur  Dubois-Dessaulle,  was 
murdered  on  the  edge  of  the  desert  by  Danakils,  and 
his  body  terribly  mutilated.  A  few  days  before  my 
departure  from  Dire-Dawa,  an  Arab  trader  and  two 
Abyssinians  met  with  a  similar  fate.  Portions  of  their 
anatomy  were  amputated  in  a  primitive  manner  and 
carried  away  in  triumph  by  the  Danakils. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning  that  I  went  to  the  station 
in  order  to  proceed  up  country  by  the  small  railway 
which  has  been  constructed  by  the  "  Compagnie  Imperiale 
des  Chemins  de  Fer  Ethiopiens  "  as  far  as  the  foot  of 
the  plateau  of  Harrar,  some  210  kilometres  from  the  coast 
(or  about  190  miles). 

A  worse-regulated  concern  than  this  railway  would  be 
difficult  to  imagine.  Instead  of  making  it  easy  for 
people  to  travel  by  it,  everything  is  done  to  prevent 
travellers  using  it,  to  make  them  uncomfortable, 
and  to  give  them  every  possible  annoyance.  The 
brigandage  of  the  Danakils  and  other  tribes  who  extorted 
money  from  caravans  upon  the  road  was  a  mere  nothing 
when  compared  with  the  exorbitant  charges  which  were 
made  for  travellers  and  their  baggage  to  those  un- 
fortunately compelled  to  travel  on  this  railway.  The 
officials  and  employees  made  themselves  quite  ridicu- 
lous by  their  impudence  and  the  absurd  regulations  they 
attempted  to  enforce,  and  it  struck  me  that  they  were 
trying  to  do  their  best  to  ruin  the  railway,  at  least 
if  it  were  intended  to  be  a  paying  concern.  It  re- 
minded me  very  much  of  the  method  of  systematic 
obstruction  which  was  used  by  the  unsatisfied  railway 
officials  of  Italy,  and  which  rendered  travelling  most 


THE   ETHIOPIAN   RAILWAY  13 

tiresome  and  almost  impossible  for  some  time  in  that 
beautiful  country. 

The  same  things  happened  at  Djibuti.  While  the 
train,  which  ran  up  to  Dire-Dawa  only  twice  a  week, 
and  som^etimes  not  so  often,  was  ready  in  the  station 
for  the  entire  night,  while  passengers,  who  were  charged 
as  much  as  186  francs  (£7  gs.)  first-class,  62  francs  {£2  los.) 
second-class  (the  second-class  corresponding  to  nothing 
in  this  country,  but  being  about  the  same  as  the  fourth- 
class  in  France),  the  passengers  were  kept  shut  out  of 
the  station  among  dirty  negroes,  baskets  of  stinking  fish, 
and  packing-cases  until  only  a  few  minutes  before  the 
departure  of  the  train.  Every  ounce  of  luggage  had 
then  to  be  weighed  and  paid  for,  and  one  could  not 
obtain  change  for  one's  money.  vSuch  valuable  currency 
as  English  sovereigns  and  five-pound  notes  were  refused 
at  the  ticket-office  as  money  unknown  to  the  officials. 
If  a  prize  were  to  be  given  for  the  greatest  confusion  I 
have  ever  witnessed  at  the  departure  of  a  train,  it  should 
certainly  be  awarded  to  the  officials  of  the  Djibuti 
station.  My  astonishment  had  no  bounds  when  I 
discovered  at  the  end  of  the  journey  that  none  of  my 
baggage  had  been  lost. 

Anyhow,  after  much  blowing  of  whistles  a  start  was 
made,  and  the  train  moved  out  of  the  station,  the  tiny 
carriages  being  full  of  German  commercial  travellers 
rigged  up  in  most  elaborate  tropical  costumes  (as  the 
people  at  home  imagine  explorers  in  Central  Africa 
should  dress),  and  Greek  carpenters,  somewhat  more 
modestly  attired.  Of  the  three  carriages  of  which  the 
train  was  formed,  the  first  and  second  were  combined 
into  one,  with  a  luggage- van.  The  third-class  for 
natives  seemed  by  far  the  most  comfortable  compart- 


14  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

merit,  as  it  was  open  all  round.  Natives  only  were 
allowed  in  this  carriage  for  the  sum  of  fifteen  francs 
for  the  entire  journey,  which  ought  to  be  as  much  as 
first-class  passengers  should  pay  for  their  convey- 
ance. 

The  line  itself  was  not  badly  laid,  but  the  carriages 
were  bad  and  kept  in  a  shocking  condition. 

One  went  over  richly-coloured  red  soil  strewn  with 
black  volcanic  rock.  Immediately  on  starting  one  began 
to  ascend^  and  after  some  two  hours  we  proceeded 
between  flat-topped  hills  of  no  great  elevation  and 
covered  with  green  shrubs.  Here  and  there  flocks  of 
goats  stampeded  at  either  side  as  the  train  puffed  away. 
Near  the  numerous  little  stations  at  which  we  stopped 
were  Somali  sheds.  Near  them  stood  natives  with 
spears  in  hand.  Wise-looking  camels  watched  the 
train  with  their  customary  impassiveness. 

There  were  fifteen  stations,  all  counted,  along  the 
entire  run,  at  distances  varying  from  seven  to  forty- 
seven  kilometres  apart,  the  longest  runs  being  between 
Ambouli  and  Holl  Holl  (forty-five  kilometres)  and  be- 
tween Ada  or  Adde  Galla  and  Mello  (forty-seven  kilo- 
metres). 

The  line  was  single,  with  only  four  crossings  where 
trains  could  meet.  Near  the  Abyssinian  frontier  one 
saw  signs  of  copper,  here  and  there  the  peculiar  green  of 
sulphate  of  copper  being  noticeable  on  the  soil's  sur- 
face. Iron  was  much  in  evidence  all  along,  giving  a 
black  and  bluish  tint  to  the  rock  and  earth. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  frontier  at  Ali  Sabieh,  eighty- 
eight  kilometres  from  D Jibuti,  we  saw  a  French  fort 
upon  the  hill,  and  at  kilometre  io6,  at  Daouenle,  where 
the  train  stopped  for  lunch,  we  came  across  an  honest 


AN    HONEST   MAN  15 

man — painfully  honest.  Not  an  Abyssinian  by  any 
means,  but  a  Greek  named  Giorgi,  gaily  dressed  in  a 
starred  blue  shirt  and  striped  trousers — not  unlike  Uncle 
Sam  as  we  see  him  in  pictures.  He  had  built  for  him- 
self a  small  shed  which  he  used  as  a  restaurant,  and  for 
the  large  equivalent  of  two  shillings  gave  you  five 
excellent  and  plentiful  courses,  sweets,  fruit,  coffee  and 
wine  included.  He  never  failed  to  tell  you  at  the  end 
that  if  you  had  not  had  sufficient,  he  would  be  glad  to 
give  you  more. 

Once  we  got  into  Abyssinia  there  were  guards  of 
Abyssinian  soldiers  at  all  the  stations,  as  well  as  escorts 
of  soldiers  who  were  placed  upon  the  train. 

Every  now  and  then  gazelles  bounded  about  in  the 
most  agile  and  graceful  fashion.  The  whole  country 
was  covered  with  high  ant-heaps.  As  we  got  higher  on 
the  plateau  we  left  behind  on  our  left  high,  rugged  and 
pointed  peaks,  the  Mounts  D'Arro  and  Mari  and  the  very 
distant  Mounts  of  Obenu,  near  Lake  Killelu.  The  train 
had  some  difficulty  in  going  up  the  steep  gradient, 
especially  in  one  or  two  places  when  the  engineer  and 
his  assistant  walked  in  front  with  a  bag  of  sand  each, 
scattering  it  upon  the  rails  so  that  the  wheels  could 
have  a  grip.  Several  times  the  train  was  brought  to  a 
standstill  because  there  were  herds  of  cattle  grazing 
upon  the  line.  On  nearing  Arraua,  two  stations  before 
reaching  Dire-Dawa,  the  plateau  lost  the  black  and 
dark-grey  tones  of  the  desert  country  and  became 
more  covered  with  verdure,  a  great  many  trees  being 
scattered  about  among  the  hillocks  on  either  side.  So  we 
puffed  along,  Abyssinian  soldiers  presenting  arms  every- 
where as  the  train  steamed  by,  and  swarms  of  naked 
children  chasing  the  train  and  keeping  well  up  with  it 


i6  ACROSS  WIDEST   AFRICA 

for  some  distance,  at  every  intermediate  station  where 
the  train  did  not  halt. 

After  twelve  hours'  travelling,  stopping  here  and 
there  to  pick  up  bolts  or  screws  which  were  tumbling 
off  the  shaky  engine — at  one  moment  there  was  a  talk 
of  stopping  on  the  line  for  the  whole  night  until  some  of 
the  pieces  were  recovered — we  eventually  arrived  at  Dire- 
Dawa,  the  terminus  of  the  line,  the  elevation  of  this 
place,  according  to  my  aneroids,  being  3,500  feet. 

The  Abyssinian  governor  of  the  town,  Atto  Negato, 
with  his  soldiers,  was  at  the  station  doing  custom- 
house officer's  duty.  He  was  most  civil,  and  said  he 
would  never  disturb  Englishmen  to  open  their  baggage, 
especially  as  he  knew  I  had  not  come  to  the  country  to 
trade  ;  but  he  was  not  so  civil  to  the  German  travellers, 
whom  I  left  struggling  on  the  platform  with  their  baggage 
open  for  inspection. 

There  was  a  good  hotel  at  Dire-Dawa  kept  by  a  Greek 
gentleman,  a  Mr.  Michailidis,  who  was  also  the  British 
Consul  in  the  place.  The  hotel  was  beautifully  clean 
and  well-managed,  and  the  food  quite  excellent,  while 
the  charges  were  indeed  moderate.  Mr.  Michailidis  was 
quite  an  institution  in  the  little  town  which  has  sprouted 
at  the  end  of  the  railway,  and  his  charming  politeness 
towards  Englishmen  who  treat  him  properly  was  wel- 
come. He  was  ready  to  help  travellers  to  make  up 
their  caravans  and  to  get  information  and  assistance 
for  them  in  buying  animals  and  obtaining  men.  Know- 
ing the  country  so  well  as  he  does,  he  has  special  facilities 
for  looking  after  the  interests  of  travellers.  He  is 
very  quick  and  intelligent,  most  sensible  and  practical, 
and  I  think  that  British  interests  coijld  not  have  been 
placed  in  better  hands  at  Dire-Dawa. 


Uauakil. 


AJem,  au  Issa  Somr.li. 
Author's  attendants. 


DIRE-DAWA  17 

Dire-Dawa  is  practically  a  French  town.  Some  of 
the  trade  is  in  the  hands  of  a  few  French  commercial 
houses,  but  there  are  also  a  number  of  Indian  traders — 
in  fact,  the  entire  bazaar  is  Hindu.  Mahommed- 
Ali,  the  principal  Hindu  trader,  has  a  well-furnished 
store.  There  are  also  some  Greek  traders.  I  was  not 
much  struck  with  the  French  ways  of  doing  business 
in  that  portion  of  the  country,  which  is  very  different 
indeed  from  the  French  mode  of  doing  business  in 
Central  and  Western  Africa.  At  Dire-Dawa  you  find  a 
curious  set  of  merchants,  who  wish  to  make  a  fortune 
in  a  short  time  and  who  endeavour  to  do  this  by 
attempting  to  extort  all  they  can  out  of  you  for  the 
articles  you  may  require.  Of  course,  sometimes  one  has 
to  put  up  with  it,  but  sometimes,  too,  one  prefers  to 
go  without  rather  than  be  robbed.  I  think  that  is 
one  of  the  chief  reasons  why  Greek  and  Indian  traders 
can  make  money  hand  over  fist  in  those  countries,  where 
French  merchants  go  bankrupt ;  simply  because  they  sell 
you  better  goods  and  are  satisfied  with  a  high,  but  still 
infinitely  more  moderate,  price  than  French  merchants. 
Of  course,  another  great  fault  I  have  to  find  with  the 
French  merchant  in  Abyssinia  is  that  he  goes  out  there 
generally  with  a  small  capital  and  bad  merchandise, 
and  he  must  have  quick  returns  or  else  succumb.  To 
my  mind,  the  Greek  and  Indian  type  of  merchant  will 
always  swamip  European  traders  who  do  business  on  a 
small  scale,  as  they  understand  better  the  needs  and  the 
resources  of  the  country  and  what  is  to  be  got  out  of  the 
people.  They  are  satisfied  with  a  humble  and  inex- 
pensive existence,  which  their  European  rivals  cannot 
emulate.  Far  from  it,  the  average  European  agent  who 
is  sent  out  to  those  countries  generally  craves  for  a  life 
VOL.   I.  2 


1 8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

of  luxury — champagne,  whisky,  expensive  cigars,  etc., 
etc. — and  the  etceteras  come  very  dear  in  many  ways 
in  those  countries,  both  for  the  purse  and  the  health. 
So  that  business  does  not  always  seem  to  be  re- 
munerative. 

The  Greeks,  I  noticed,  who  were  very  numerous  all 
over  Abyssinia,  have  a  wonderful  facility  for  learning 
languages  quickly,  and  many  of  them  can  converse 
fluently  in  the  Galla  tongue,  in  Harrari,  the  Danakil 
language,  Somali  and  Amharic.  They  also  thoroughly 
understand  the  ways  of  the  natives,  and  they  are  patient 
to  a  degree  where  a  European  would  lose  his  temper 
and  use  his  fists  or  his  feet  freely.  So  that  these  Greeks 
and  Armenians,  although  doing  business  in  a  small 
way,  seem  to  manage  to  carry  away  all  the  trade  of  the 
country.  Also  it  must  be  said  that  the  natives  are  less 
suspicious  of  these  men  than  they  are  of  European 
traders,  in  whom  they  never  put  absolute  trust.  In 
a  way  they  look  upon  Greeks  and  Turks  as  belonging 
almost  to  their  own  race.  The  Armenians  are  not  so 
popular  as  the  Greeks,  and  they  are  somewhat  looked 
down  upon  by  the  natives,  this  being,  I  think,  merely 
a  racial  dislike,  which  is  difficult  to  explain. 

In  the  Dire-Dawa  bazaar  I  was  told  that  there  were 
some  two  thousand  people  under  British  protection,  viz., 
Hindus,  Parsees,  Somalis  from  Berber,  Arabs  from  Aden 
and  Sudanese.  The  Greeks  were  also  under  British 
protection,  and  being  of  a  quarrelsome  nature  they 
generally  had  a  great  many  questions  to  settle  before 
the  local  authorities.  But  taking  things  all  round,  it 
was  a  well-behaved  population ;  these  rows  were  only 
regarding  money  matters,  and  but  seldom  took  the 
violent  form  of  a  fight. 


19 


CHAPTER  III. 

While  I  was  getting  my  caravan  ready  at  Dire-Dawa, 
I  took  an  excursion  to  the  city  of  Harrar,  some  thirty 
miles  off,  in  order  to  visit  His  Highness  Ras-Makonnen, 
Governor-General  of  Harrar  and  its  Dependencies. 

There  is  a  good  wide  trail  between  Dire-Dawa  and 
Harrar  among  hills  fairly  well  covered  with  trees.  Dog- 
faced  monkeys  of  great  size  can  be  seen  in  numbers 
playing  on  the  sand  of  the  river-bed,  which  in  some 
portions  forms  the  trail,  and  gigantic  cacti,  twenty  to 
thirty  feet  high,  grow  in  the  more  open  spaces,  especi- 
ally near  villages,  where  they  are  used  extensively  and 
efficaciously  as  hedges.  Near  a  Galla  village  on  the 
hillside  the  trail  makes  a  great  detour  to  the  south- 
east, but  a  short  cut  going  due  south  exists,  and  by  taking 
this  and  ascending  the  mountain  at  a  steeper  angle  the 
great  loop  of  the  road  can  be  avoided. 

One  passes  a  small  Galla  village,  with  its  mud-walled 
huts  and  thatched  roofs  and  a  thick  fence  made  of  brush- 
wood. This  is  about  nineteen  kilometres  from  Dire- 
Dawa.  One  soon  goes  over  the  pass,  where  a  beau- 
tiful view  is  obtained  of  the  Somali  plains  to  the  north- 
east and  east-north-east.  The  Foldi  mountain  stands 
in  the  middle  foreground  before  the  eye  reaches  the 
plain ;  and  the  Gurgurra,  as  well  as  the  small  Mount 
VOL,   I.  2* 


20  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

D'Arro,  are  to  the  north,  with  the  Dire-Dawa  hills  in  the 
immediate  foreground.  The  trail  goes  between  the 
Rukko  and  the  Afrotti  Mountains.  As  one  gets  to 
the  highest  point  on  the  Karra  Pass  (6,700  feet),  a  beau- 
tiful view  is  to  be  obtained  of  the  River  Idjahanen  down 
below,  as  well  as  a  more  extensive  view  than  before  of 
the  Somali  valley  and  the  Danakil  country  to  the 
south-west  developing  itself  into  a  grand  arc  of  a  circle 
from  a  south-westerly  to  a  north-westerly  point.  To 
the  south  is  the  pretty  lake  of  Haradilh,  just  appearing 
between  hillocks,  as  one  gets  over  the  pass.  In  the 
pretty  basin  in  which  this  lake  lies  are  some  Galla  vil- 
lages, as,  after  crossing  the  pass,  we  are  entirely  in  the 
Galla  country. 

As  we  proceed  on  the  road  the  rugged  Bara  Muldatta 
Mountains  are  on  our  right,  a  short  distance  away. 
Through  an  avenue  of  cacti  we  come  to  a  kraal,  also 
fenced  round  with  cacti — radami,  as  the  Galla  call 
this  useful  plant. 

The  Galla  are  great  shepherds.  Near  their  villages 
are  a  great  number  of  goats;  humped  oxen,  and  cows 
with  long  straight  horns. 

The  trail  is  much  frequented,  as  a  good  deal  of  the 
trade  of  Harrar  comes  this  way  to  the  railway  terminus, 
instead  of  going  as  formerly  by  caravan  to  Zeila  in  British 
Somaliland.  We  met  on  the  trail  caravans  of  coffee 
for  export  to  Aden  and  exchanged  salutations  with  the 
men  in  charge  of  the  animals. 

I  was  somewhat  amused  to  find  my  travelling  com- 
panions of  the  Djibuti  railway  stranded  upon  the  trail, 
sweating  all  over  and  using  the  most  violent  words  in 
the  German  tongue,  they  having  started  on  the  road 
from  Dire-Dawa  some  hours  before  I  did  in  the  middle  of 


THE   LAKE   OF    HARAMAYA  21 

the  night.  They  were  strugghng  to  keep  upon  their 
animals'  backs  some  patent  saddles  and  harness  which 
may  have  been  well  suited  for  German  horses  ;  the 
elaborate  military  bit  hung  several  inches  under  the 
noses  of  the  mules  instead  of  fitting  into  the  mouth, 
the  head  of  an  Abyssinian  mule  being  much  shorter  than 
that  of  a  German  charger.  Some  of  their  gigantic 
patent  helmets  had  been  blown  away  by  the  wind,  and 
one  or  two  of  the  party  were  now  travelling  with  hand- 
kerchiefs tied  round  their  heads. 

In  the  basin  of  the  lake  were  extensive  plantations  of 
door  ah  or  dura  (sorghum),  which  had  just  been  cut  and 
was  being  collected  in  stacks  all  over  the  valley.  As 
I  went  further  on,  more  Galla  villages  and  farms  dotted 
the  entire  hillsides.  The  huts  had  cylindrical  walls  of 
wood  and  cane  matting,  plastered  over  with  mud  and 
supporting  conical  thatched  roofs.  Lively  groups  of 
men  threshing  grain  with  long  sticks,  and  singing  all 
the  while  in  order  to  keep  time  with  their  work,  could  be 
seen  and  heard  here  and  there.  This  somewhat  enlivened 
the  monotony  of  the  journey  in  the  hot  hours  of  the  day. 

Large  kites  and  hawks  soared  gracefully  in  the  sky 
overhead,  and  amusing  incidents  occurred  when  I  got 
off  my  mule  in  order  to  photograph  natives.  The 
women  particularly  were  extremely  shy  and  hid  their 
faces  behind  both  hands,  running  full  speed  into  the 
darkest  corners  of  their  huts,  while  the  children  were 
terrified  and  shrieked  to  their  hearts'  content  when 
they  saw  a  camera  pointed  at  them. 

The  altitude  of  the  lake  was,  according  to  my  aneroids, 
6,400  feet.  As  we  got  nearer  Harrar,  we  met  some 
native  travellers  coming  from  that  city.  On  reaching 
a  second  lake,  the  Haramaya — a  most  picturesque  sheet 


22  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

of  water  with  hundreds  of  cattle  grazing  upon  the 
banks — I  halted  for  some  minutes  at  the  Abyssinian 
rest-house  in  order  to  have  lunch. 

The  water  of  the  lake,  owing  to  the  cattle  which 
went  right  into  it  to  drink,  and  stirred  up  the  mud  and 
dirt,  was  unfit  for  consumption.  It  was  simply  swarming 
with  animal  life  when  I  took  a  glass  of  it,  microbes  of 
all  kinds  and  shapes,  visible  with  the  naked  eye, 
swimming  round  the  glass. 

I  asked  the  restaurant  keeper  to  give  me  some  tea  or 
coffee,  or  a  native  drink,  but  nothing  of  the  sort  was 
to  be  had,  whereas  bottles  of  whisky,  absinthe,  and  even 
a  bottle  of  green  Chartreuse  were  produced,  the  man 
declaring  that  those,  and  not  cofiee  and  tea,  were  the 
liquids  which  white  people  always  drank.  I  had  the 
unhapp3^  idea  of  trying  a  steak  cooked  in  Abyssinian 
fashion,  a  lot  of  incisions  being  made  in  the  meat  in 
order  to  facilitate  its  cooking.  I  do  not  think  I  have 
ever  regretted  anything  so  much  as  trying  the  experi- 
ment, for  over  the  meat  rancid  oil  had  been  poured 
which  gave  the  dish  a  disgusting  odour.  Famished  as 
I  was,  I  was  unable  to  eat  it,  and  for  hours  afterwards 
I  had  in  my  mouth  and  nose  the  evil  taste  of  the  first 
morsel  which  I  had  attempted  to  swallow. 

To  the  north-east  of  Harrar  was  a  table-land  of  con- 
siderable height,  the  Gunduntu  Mountains,  with  Mount 
D'Arro,  a  flat  conical  peak.  Over  undulating,  culti- 
vated country  one  rose  to  a  height  of  6,650  feet  on  a 
pass,  and  later  I  crossed  the  last  pass  before  reaching 
Harrar  at  an  elevation  of  6,500  feet. 

I  now  met  hundreds  of  Galla  upon  the  trail,  the 
women  with  a  double-ball  arrangement  of  hair  behind 
the  head,  and  the  rest  plaited  all  over  the  head  into 


HARRAR  23 

tiny  little  tresses  left  in  their  natural  curly  state  at  the 
ends  behind.  The  end  curls  of  these  tresses  were  en- 
circled in  a  sort  of  gauze  net,  which  covered  nearly 
all  the  top  of  the  head  except  a  small  section  directly 
above  the  forehead.  These  Galla  women  were  pic- 
turesque enough  in  their  red,  yellow  and  blue  ornaments  ; 
with  their  earrings  and  blue  bead  necklaces. 

From  the  last  pass,  where  I  began  to  descend  into  the 
Harrar  valley,  a  fine  bird's-eye  view  was  to  be  obtained. 
Directly  before  me  to  the  east  were  chain  after  chain  of 
mountains.  To  the  south-east  I  could  see  again  the 
high,  flat-topped  Mount  Gundura,  and  above  a  streak 
of  green  vegetation  rose  a  white  dome  on  the  slope  of  a 
central  elevation  with  a  white  square  building  at  the 
side.  Other  white  dots  were  near  it  and  two  towers. 
As  I  descended,  I  left  behind  and  soon  out  of  sight  to  the 
south  and  south-west  the  Bara  Muldatto  range,  and 
towards  sunset  I  approached  the  small,  walled  outer 
city,  higher  than  the  larger  Harrar,  and  with  a  pic- 
turesque castellated  gate.  This  smaller  enclosure  is 
used  now  as  a  grain  store.  Remains  of  the  formerly- 
existing  English  fortress  can  be  seen  near  the  small 
suburb  of  conical-roofed  Galla  huts  outside  the  town. 

As  one  approached  the  larger  city,  only  a  few  yards 
further  down  the  hill,  it  reminded  one  strongly  of  Arab 
towns.  The  figures  of  men  in  their  white  clothing, 
draped  over  the  shoulder,  a  fashion  common  also  to  the 
north  coast  of  Africa,  rather  served  to  accentuate  this 
illusion. 

The  city  gate  was  not  impressive,  and  just"  large 
enough  for  a  horse  and  rider  to  get  through.  As  one 
stepped  through  the  gate  in  the  city  wall,  one  looked 
down  upon  the  numberless  flat  roofs  of  houses  built  of 


24  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

stone  and  mud.  There  was  no  regularity  about  the 
streets,  and  as  one  meandered  round  endless  corners, 
always  keeping  to  the  left  in  Arab  fashion,  through 
narrow  lanes,  one  finally  emerged  into  the  market 
square.  There  stood  Ras-Makonnen's  palace  to  the 
west,  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  square  the  Custom 
House  sheds,  with  quantities  of  ivory,  coffee  and  foreign 
goods  waiting  to  pay  duty. 

Next  to  Ras-Makonnen's  palace  were  the  cavalry 
barracks,  closely  guarded  by  soldiers.  I  happened  to 
peep  in  at  the  gate,  when  the  sentry  shouted  to  me  that 
I  was  a  ferenghi  and  could  not  enter.  There  was  nothing 
to  be  seen  except  a  few  partitions  of  brushwood  dividing 
the  stalls  for  the  horses,  and  a  few  stacks  of  spears  and 
rifles  in  a  more  or  less  dilapidated  condition.  That 
was  all. 

The  gates  of  the  city  were  closed  at  sunset  and  opened 
at  sunrise,  and  I  was  fortunate  to  enter  the  town  only 
a  few  minutes  before  the  gate  was  barred.  The  first 
person  I  met  in  Harrar  was  Mr.  John  Gerolimato,  a 
Greek,  who  fulfils  the  duties  of  British  vice-consul  in 
Harrar.  He  is  a  man  of  superior  education,  extremely 
well  informed  and  most  enterprising  as  a  merchant. 
He  was  held  in  much  esteem  in  Harrar.  He  had  con- 
siderable influence  over  the  Ras,  who  put  absolute 
trust  in  him  ;  and  in  one  or  two  walks  which  I  had 
with  the  vice-consul  he  seemed,  indeed,  to  be  every- 
body's adviser  in  the  place. 

As  we  were  going  along  the  streets,  a  swarm  of 
soldiers  came  towards  us,  and  two  men,  evidently 
chiefs,  moved  out  of  the  centre  of  this  rabble  of  armed 
men  and  came  to  greet  Mr.  Gerolimato  in  a  hearty 
fashion.     They    were    Fitawrari    Gabri,    Governor    of 


THE   MARKET   PLACE  25 

Ogaden,  and  Atto  Karokorat.  Further  up  the  road 
another  man  in  his  black  toga  came  along,  followed  by 
more  soldiers  armed  with  Gras  rifles.  This  was  Abdalla 
Taha,  the  Governor  of  Jig  Jiga. 

As  we  prowled  here  and  there  in  the  narrow  streets  of 
the  city,  we  came  upon  more  chiefs  in  their  black  or 
brown  cloaks,  and  invariably  surrounded  by  strong 
escorts.  Here  and  there  we  met  Greeks  and  Armenians, 
ever  distinguishable  by  their  unshaven  faces  and  ill- 
fitting  clothes  and  hats.  In  the  principal  market-place, 
with  its  humble  but  picturesque  gateways  of  Makonnen's 
palace  and  of  the  police  station,  were  hundreds  of  black 
faces,  some  with  heads  shaved  clean,  others  with  short 
frizzly  hair.  The  men  were  generally  draped  in  ample 
white  garments,  whereas  the  women  struck  brilliant 
notes  of  colour  in  that  already  lively  scene,  dressed  as 
they  were  in  their  red  or  blue  gowns,  much  draped  over 
the  head  not  unlike  the  Indian  fashion. 

Under  low  sheds  constructed  of  a  piece  of  cloth 
supported  on  three  or  four  sticks  were  Galla  traders, 
selling  narrow  white,  striped,  or  blue  cloth,  beads,  orna- 
ments and  ribbon.  They  seemed  to  carry  on  a  brisk 
business. 

Children  unable  to  walk  were  slung  low  upon  the 
back  by  the  women,  and  nearly  every  man  one  saw  in 
the  square  possessed  a  long  stick  resting  upon  his  left 
shoulder,  to  which  he  attached  packages  of  food,  or  other 
purchased  articles. 

Near  the  square  was  the  bazaar,  a  narrow  lane  so 
crowded  with  people  that  it  was  difficult  to  force  one's 
way  through.  The  merchants  were  mostly  Indians,  and 
Greeks  under  British  protection.  They  sold  almost 
exclusively    cotton    goods    from    Manchester    or    from 


26  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

America,  American  cottons  having  lately  gained  con- 
siderably over  British  manufactures. 

In  a  smaller  square  we  came  upon  the  butchers' 
market,  with  its  many  wooden  tables  strewn  with  more 
or  less  appetizing  meat.  This  place  seemed  to  be  the 
rendez-vous  of  all  the  women  of  Harrar,  who  came  in  the 
afternoon  to  talk  scandal  while  making  their  purchases. 

When  you  have  seen  these  two  markets,  the  Coptic 
church  and  the  Mosque — all  of  no  artistic  importance 
— there  is  nothing  else  to  see  in  Harrar.  The  tortuous 
streets,  with  the  mud-plastered  walls  of  the  houses,  are 
all  more  or  less  alike.  The  heat  of  the  sun  has  baked  the 
mud  of  the  walls  to  such  an  extent  that  it  has  become 
as  hard  as  stone. 

No  one  is  allowed  in  the  streets  without  a  lantern  after 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  even  with  a  lantern  one 
always  runs  a  risk  of  being  arrested.  Little  harm 
would  come  to  a  European,  who  with  some  slight  back- 
shish would  soon  be  released  ;  but  natives,  and  even 
Greeks  or  Indians,  would  be  involved  in  considerable 
trouble  if  found  out  during  the  night,  and  they  would 
be  heavily  fined  and  the  former  possibly  even  beaten. 

When  I  was  in  Harrar  the  Bank  of  Abyssinia,  newly 
formed,  was  about  to  start  a  branch  in  this  important 
city,  and  Ras-Makonnen,  who  had  been  elected  one  of 
the  directors,  had  given  one  of  his  palaces  outside  the 
town  to  be  used  as  the  Bank  building.  No  doubt,  the 
Bank  will  have  some  uphill  work  in  the  beginning,  as 
banking  in  European  style  was  quite  unknown  in 
Abyssinia,  and  people  preferred  to  hoard  their  money 
rather  than  trust  it  to  any  commercial  concern.  Of 
course,  lending  money  is  a  very  popular  custom  in 
Harrar,  as  in  all  Oriental  countries,  but  an  interest  of 


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A    MIXTURE   OF   TYPES  27 

at  least  one  thousand  per  cent,  is  expected  for  the  con- 
venience, and  it  remains  to  be  seen  whether  the  three 
per  cent,  or  four  per  cent,  interest,  which  the  Bank  will 
pay  on  money  deposited  on  current  accounts,  will  be 
sufficient  to  attract  the  capitalists  of  Harrar.  Mr.  H.  M. 
Goldie,  who  had  just  arrived  to  take  charge  of  the  Bank, 
was  studying  the  best  ways  of  establishing  suitable 
relations  with  the  people,  and  no  doubt  with  his  vast 
experience  of  banking  matters  in  Egypt  he  will  be  able 
to  do  what  is  possible  in  the  interests  of  the  Bank  in 
Ras-Makonnen's  country. 

From  the  beautiful  house,  at  an  elevation  of  6,150 
feet  above  the  sea,  which  had  been  given  to  the  Bank 
by  Makonnen,  one  obtained  a  delightful  view  of  the 
town,  with  St.  Michael's  Church  in  the  foreground 
upon  the  hillside.  The  city  itself  was  some  250  feet 
lower,  or  5,850  feet  in  its  most  central  part. 

The  approximate  population  of  Harrar  is  from  forty- 
five  thousand  to  fifty  thousand  people.  Among  these 
we  find  about  a  thousand  people  under  British  pro- 
tection, mostly  a  shifting  population  of  Somalis,  Arabs, 
Berbers,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  Hindus. 

The  export  trade  of  Harrar  consists  principally  of 
hides  and  coffee,  which  find  their  way  to  Aden  via 
Djibuti.  The  caravan  route  to  Zeila  in  British  Somali- 
land,  which  was  formerly  much  used,  has  now  been 
almost  entirely  abandoned. 

One  very  curious  point  about  this  city  is  that  a  special 
language,  the  Harrari,  absolutely  different  from  the 
Galla  spoken  in  the  surrounding  country,  has  been 
adopted  by  the  town  people. 

We  find  a  great  mixture  of  types  in  Harrar,  of 
Galla,    Somali    (Issa    and   Haberual),    Danakil,    Arabs, 


28  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

AbyssinianSj   Ogaden  Somali   and    specimens  of   minor 
tribes. 

Although  vanquished  by  the  Amharas,  the  Harraris 
have  never  been  morally  affected  by  the  Abyssinian 
conquest,  and  they  consider  themselves  quite  as  inde- 
pendent as  they  were  before.  They  look  upon  the 
Government  as  a  protection  rather  than  as  a  subjection. 
A  certain  rancour  is  still  preserved  in  their  hearts 
against  the  Abyssinians,  and  I  think  that  had  they  a 
suitable  opportunity  they  would  soon  shake  off  the 
Abyssinian  yoke. 

They  are  not  of  the  Coptic  religion,  but  are  Mussul- 
man, with  firm  religious  notions  on  the  subject.  Even 
between  the  Ras  and  the  Mahommedans  there  is  an 
intermediate  chief,  with  whom  the  Ras  has  to  settle  all 
differences  with  those  practising  the  religion  of  Islam. 

Early  in  the  morning,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Gero- 
limato,  I  proceeded  to  the  palace,  where  Ras-Makonnen 
was  expecting  me.  We  did  not  enter  by  the  main 
palace  gate,  surmounted  by  elongated  crouching  lions, 
but  we  went  through  a  back  entrance,  first  through  a 
court,  the  walls  of  which  were  decorated  with  Gras 
rifles,  spears  and  circular  shields  ;  then  from  a  second 
court  we  mounted  the  staircase  of  a  modest  building. 
On  the  first  floor,  at  the  door  of  a  whitewashed  room  of 
the  simplest  description,  Ras-Makonnen  greeted  us  with 
effusion.  He  beckoned  us  to  sit  down,  and  he  seated 
himself  between  two  large  red  cushions  upon  a  low  divan. 
He  looked  quite  worn  and  ill,  and  he  had  the  pathetic 
look  upon  his  face  of  a  man  whose  end  is  near.  He 
seemed  absorbed  in  deep  thought,  almost  as  if  he  were 
in  a  trance.  He  breathed  heavily,  and  it  was  an 
effort   for  him  to  speak,  but  he  struggled  through   it 


Ras  Makonnen  and  his  son. 
(This'photogiaph,  taken  by  Author,  was  the  last  shortly  before  the  Ras"  death.) 


RAS-MAKONNEN  29 

bravely.  With  long  pauses  between,  he  spoke  in  a  faint 
voice. 

"  How  are  your  King  and  the  Queen,  and  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales  and  their  children  ?  The  English 
King  was  very  good  to  me.  We  must  drink  his  health 
in  Abyssinian  wine.  ...  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you 
in  my  country,  and  I  want  you  to  accept  one  of  my 
favourite  horses  as  a  remembrance  of  your  visit  to  me. 
It  is  a  good  ambling  horse,  and  you  will  find  it  easy  to 

ride  on  your    journey  to    the    capital Yes, 

England  and  Abyssinia  are  good  friends,  and  my  wish 
is  that  our  friendship  may  continue  for  ever." 

The  Ras  seemed  quite  exhausted.  There  was  a  long 
pause,  during  which  I  examined  our  surroundings. 
The  only  decorations  in  the  rooms  consisted  of  a  few  rugs 
upon  the  floor,  one  solitary  Japanese  fan  nailed  to  the 
wall  and  a  cheap  glass  globe  lamp. 

We  sipped  hydromel  from  tall  unwashed  tumblers, 
and  when  the  Ras  lifted  his  head  again,  I  told  him  how 
much  we  in  England  admired  his  great  courage  in  battle, 
as  well  as  the  sensible  way  in  which  he  administered  the 
country. 

The  Ras  bowed  modestly — for,  indeed,  this  great 
fighter  was  in  his  manner  as  humble,  gentle  and  modest 
as  a  maiden.  He  was  intensely  unaffected  and  soft- 
spoken,  and  upon  his  lips  an  occasional  sad  smile 
lighted  temporarily  his  sympathique  countenance.  It  was 
enough  to  see  the  Ras  to  be  struck  at  first  glance  by 
the  intelligence  of  his  face  and  by  the  extreme  kindness 
and  firmness  of  his  character. 

"  I  want  you  to  meet  my  son,"  said  the  Ras,  and  he 
despatched  a  servant  to  fetch  his  boy,  Deziazmatch 
(General)  Tafari,  a  little  fellow  of  twelve,   with  large. 


30  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

soft  pensive  eyes  and  a  sad  girlish  face  of  refined  lines. 
He  spoke  excellent  French,  and,  like  his  father,  was 
most  charmingly  simple  in  manner. 

Ras-Makonnen  insisted  on  rising,  as  he  wished  to 
show  me  the  interior  of  his  palace.  He  took  us  to  his 
bedroom — in  European  style — occupying  the  highest 
and  loftiest  room  in  the  building.  Behind  a  curtain 
dividing  the  room  in  two  was  a  solid  brass  bed,  of  ample 
dimensions,  with  silk  curtains  of  somewhat  ill-matched 
colours  and  a  silk  counterpane.  Coloured  glass  panes 
of  bilious  yellow,  green  and  red  tints  in  the  windows, 
let  in  as  unpleasant  a  light  to  the  interior  of  the  room 
as  one  could  wish  to  have  when  the  powerful  rays  of 
the  sun  penetrated  through. 

I  could  not  help  being  amused  at  the  great  fear  of 
the  sun  the  Ras  and  his  son  had,  when  I  took  them  out 
on  a  balcony  in  order  to  photograph  them. 

After  many  compliments  and  good  wishes  for  a  happy 
journey,  I  took  my  leave  of  the  Ras,  and  returned  with 
Gerolimato  to  the  place  where  I  had  put  up. 

"  I  think  the  Ras  will  not  live  long,"  I  remarked  to 
the  consul. 

"He  is  sinking  every  day,"  was  the  reply.  "He  is 
going  out  like  a  light  that  has  once  been  brilliant, 
but  is  now  fading  away.  He  will  be  a  great  loss  to  this 
country." 

Neither  Gerolimato  nor  I  believed,  however,  that  the 
end  would  come  so  soon.  A  few  weeks  later  this  the 
greatest  of  all  Abyssinian  chiefs  was  dead. 

On  returning  home,  I  found  the  beautiful  horse  Ras- 
Makonnen  had  sent  me,  and  having  given  a  suitable 
present  to  the  "  Master  of  the  Stable,"  who  delivered  it 
to  me,  I  took  possession  of  it. 


HINDU   TRADERS  31 

Again  here,  as  at  Dire-Dawa,  by  far  the  best  store  was 
that  kept  by  the  Indian  Mahommed-AH,  where  a  well- 
selected  assortment  of  articles  was  to  be  found,  both 
for  European  travellers  in  the  country  and  for  natives. 
While  I  was  in  the  store,  Ganiasmatch  Kolouci,  who  was 
the  late  Acting-Governor  of  Harrar  when  Ras-Makonnen 
travelled  to  Europe,  entered  the  shop,  and  we  had  a 
pleasant  conversation  together. 

I  much  admired  the  patience  of  the  Hindu  merchants 
with  the  Abyssinians.  It  is,  indeed,  a  good  thing  that 
time  is  worth  nothing  in  Menelik's  empire.  With  the 
ex-Governor  I  was  shown  over  the  premises  of  the 
largest  commercial  firm  in  Harrar.  Had  one  desired, 
one  could  have  purchased  anything  there  from  a  glass 
candelabra  at  fifty  pounds  sterling,  to  a  military  pack- 
saddle  or  a  cake  of  soap  from  the  best-advertised 
English  manufacturers.  Knives  of  all  kinds  and  all 
makers  were,  they  told  me,  much  in  demand  in 
Abyssinia,  and  they  certainly  seemed  to  have  a  great 
choice  of  them  in  their  show-cases. 

These  people  have  certainly  studied  the  local  wants, 
and  their  civihty  in  dealing  with  customers,  whether 
European  or  native,  as  well  as  their  comparative  honesty, 
go  a  long  way  towards  making  them  successful  where 
European  traders  become  bankrupt. 

I  visited  many  of  the  other  Indian  shops  in  the 
bazaar.  The  smaller  merchants  go  in  principally  for 
native  custom,  which  gives  quicker  returns.  Gras 
ammunition,  grey  American  and  Manchester  cottons, 
are  the  chief  imports  from  America  and  Europe.  Glass 
and  china  ware  are  much  in  demand  among  the  richer 
Abyssinians  and  Galla.  Bric-a-brac  articles  for  decora- 
tion, as  well  as  perfumery  of  the  most  aggressive  kind. 


32  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

generally  come  from  Austria,  Germany  and  France, 
and  find  a  ready  market  in  all  the  principal  cities  of 
Abyssinia. 

I  returned  to  Dire-Dawa  by  the  same  route  I  had 
followed  on  my  way  out.  A  mishap,  which  might  have 
been  serious,  happened  as  we  were  about  half-way  on 
our  journey.  My  Somali  servant,  who  was  carrying  a 
perfected  camera  which  had  been  specially  constructed 
for  me,  was  thrown  by  his  horse,  and  unfortunately 
fell  on  the  top  of  this  most  valuable  and  valued 
possession,  causing  a  deal  of  damage.  Fortunately, 
carpentering  is  one  of  the  things  I  can  do  best  in  the 
world,  and  several  hours'  hard  work  saw  the  camera  fit 
for  work  again. 

I  only  remained  two  days  in  Dire-Dawa  in  order 
to  complete  all  arrangements  for  my  journey,  such  as 
the  purchase  of  pack  animals,  mules  and  camels,  the 
engagement  of  servants,  and  the  final  shopping,  in 
order  to  get  cooking  implements  or  other  things  which 
I  had  forgotten  at  the  last  moment.  The  consul,  Mr. 
Michel  A.  Michailidis,  was  extremely  obliging,  and 
helped  me  a  good  deal  to  get  men  and  animals  quickly. 
He  also  obtained  for  me  an  Abyssinian  passport,  and 
assisted  me  towards  obtaining  an  escort  of  Abyssinian 
soldiers — not  a  protection,  but  an  additional  danger  as 
one  proceeds  on  a  journey  across  Abyssinia,  but  without 
which  no  foreigner  is  allowed  to  travel  in  Menelik's 
country — and  in  the  more  difhcult  job  still  of  obtaining 
a  cook. 

This  is  the  sort  of  conversation  we  generally  had  with 
the  candidates  for  this  highly-important  post. 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  ?  " 

**  I  am  a  cook." 


FORMING   A   CARAVAN  33 

"  What  can  you  cook  ?  " 

"Oh,"  said  one,  with  dehghtful  frankness,  "I  can  do 
nothing.  What  can  you  expect  from  an  Abyssinian 
cook  !  " 

"  What  wages  do  you  expect  for  doing  nothing  ?  " 

"  Not  less  than  thirty  dollars  a  month,  clothes, 
shoes  and  blankets." 

I  suggested  that  thirty  lashes  of  the  courbash  a  minute 
would  be  a  more  appropriate  pay  for  his  services,  so 
another  cook  was  examined  while  the  preceding  one 
left  grumbling. 

Of  course,  one  got  the  usual  procession  of  "  boys  " 
with  French  and  British  certificates,  praising  up  the 
phenomenal  qualities  of  the  various  servants  discharged, 
but  travellers  should  always  be  careful  in  employing 
these  certificated  domestics,  as  certificates  are  passed 
round,  when  one  "  boy  "  has  obtained  employment,  to 
his  friends.  One  certificate  does,  indeed,  for  many 
people.  For  instance,  one  certificate  I  examined, 
brought  to  me  by  a  young  "  boy,"  some  seventeen  or 
eighteen  years  of  age,  read  that  "  The  bearer  of  the 
present  certificate,  my  faithful  servant  So-and-So, 
although  over  fifty  years  of  age,"  etc.,  etc. 

Personally,  I  merely  go  by  my  first  impression,  and  I 
find  that  I  have  seldom  been  mistaken  in  my  estimation 
of  the  character  of  the  men  I  employ.  Naturally,  for 
journeys  like  those  I  undertake,  one  cannot  always  get 
the  best  people  to  go,  as  folks  comfortably  off  will  not 
leave  their  homes  nor  risk  their  lives  for  any  considera- 
tion whatever  ;  so  that  I  have  to  depend  mostly  upon 
finding  what  suitable  material  I  can  from  the  scum,  as 
it  were,  of  whatever  place  I  happen  to  be  in  when  I 
am  forming  a  new  caravan.  Of  course,  with  men  of  this 
VOL.   I.  3 


34  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

kind,  no  trust  can  be  placed  in  them,  but  to  trust  in 
other  people  of  any  country  has  never  been  one  of  my 
chief  characteristics. 

Before  leaving  Dire-Dawa,  a  road  tax  of  two  thalers 
for  each  camel  travelling  upon  the  Assabot  Road  (which 
I  intended  to  follow)  had  to  be  paid  to  Abu  Bakir,  of  the 
great  family  of  Abu  Bakir  Basha,  the  actual  chief  of  the 
Danakil. 

Blankets,  shoes  and  canvas  water-bottles  had  to  be 
purchased  for  the  men,  and,  according  to  custom,  ten 
rounds  of  ammunition  were  handed  to  each  Abyssinian 
soldier.  It  will  be  seen  later  how  this  ammunition  was 
misused,  and  from  that  time  I  took  good  care  never  to 
let  any  of  my  men  have  cartridges  in  their  possession, 
although  I  occasionally  handed  one  or  two  cartridges 
to  men  who  would  be  sent  after  game  for  the  ex- 
pedition. 


35 


CHAPTER  IV. 

I  LEFT  Dire-Dawa  at  9.30  a.m.  on  January  i8th,  my 
caravan  of  mules  and  camels  in  charge  of  Somalis  and 
Abyssinians  having  gone  ahead  earlier  in  the  morning. 

We  went  along  a  good  trail.  There  were  plenty  of 
cacti  and  other  fat-leaved  plants,  but  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  trees  here  and  there  the  vegetation 
was  not  luxuriant. 

We  perceived  a  high  range  to  the  south-east,  the 
mountains  near  Harrar,  and  a  high  table-land  stood 
to  the  north-west.  Between  these  two  ranges  we 
marched  at  a  steady  pace  for  some  eight  hours,  crossing 
several  beds  of  dried  streams.  A  few  Danakil  we  met, 
and  a  great  many  Gurgura  with  their  spears,  looking 
after  sheep  and  camels.  These  Gurgura  possess  a  skin 
of  a  deep  chocolate  colour,  and  can  be  divided  into  two 
distinct  types  :  one  with  hair  that  is  woolly,  or  twisted 
into  tiny  curls  ;  the  other,  not  so  common,  with  smooth 
hair,  which  is  always  left  long  and  reaches  almost  to  the 
shoulders.  These  people  are  akin  to  the  Danakil, 
and  some  types  I  saw  possessed  Jewish  characteristics 
in  a  marked  degree ;  particularly  the  hooked  nose, 
broad  at  the  base,  and  the  large  and  prominent  lips, 
the  lower  drooping  considerably.  Some  grew  a  slight 
beard  upon  the  cheeks  and  chin.  They  all  had  eyes 
the  iris  of  which  was  of  a  deep  brown,  but  that  portion 
VOL.  I.  3* 


36  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

of  the  eye-ball  which  with  us  is  white  was  with  them 
of  a  dark  yellowish  tone,  which  gave  a  peculiar  expres- 
sion to  their  countenances.  The  women  went  about 
with  breasts  exposed  and  adorned  themselves  with 
numerous  beads  round  the  neck.  The  men  wore  a  loin- 
cloth down  to  the  knees.  They  invariably  carried  a 
leather  amulet  with  green  beads  round  the  neck,  and  a 
pendent  string  hanging  down  from  the  back  of  it. 

It  was  glorious  after  the  gloom  of  London  to  travel 
in  the  pure,  clear  air  of  these  highlands  under  a  cloud- 
less sky  in  the  sun  which,  far  from  deserving  the  accusa- 
tions of  treachery  which  people  shower  upon  it,  seemed 
to  give  one  fresh  life  and  vigour.  One  is  always  told 
that  a  sun  helmet  should  be  worn  if  sunstroke  is  to  be 
avoided,  and  some  people  go  so  far  as  to  protect  the 
whole  spinal  cord  with  a  thick  pad  against  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  but,  personally,  I  think  these  precautions  do 
one  more  harm  than  good.  That  is  to  say,  if,  when 
you  start  on  a  journey,  you  are  in  good  health  and  your 
blood  is  in  good  condition.  There  are  precautions  which 
are  based  on  sound  sense  and  which  are  really  precau- 
tions, and  there  are  notions  which  are  forced,  occa- 
sionally with  much  success,  into  people's  brains  under 
the  name  of  precautions,  but  which,  indeed,  are  just  the 
reverse.  The  helmets,  the  spinal  pads,  the  cholera  belts, 
etc.,  seem  to  me  to  belong  more  to  the  latter  class  than 
to  the  former.  For  instance,  the  helmet,  which  pro- 
tects you,  if  anything  too  much,  from  the  sun,  renders 
the  back  of  the  head  extremely  sensitive  and  has  been 
known  to  procure  its  wearer  an  immediate  sunstroke 
when  accidentally  blown  off  by  the  wind.  Whereas 
men  like  myself,  who  accustom  themselves  to  the  hot 
rays  of   the.   sun   by  wearing  a   mere   straw   hat  or  a 


THE   FRIEND   OF   SOBER   MEN  37 

cap,  can  have  their  head-gears  blown  off  fifty  times  a  day 
and  be  none  the  worse.  Any  average  man  in  good 
health  can  get  accustomed  to  the  tropical  sun  in  two  or 
three  days  at  the  most  by  observing  a  little  caution 
for  the  first  few  hours  in  going  out  during  the  great 
heat  of  the  day  in  equatorial  countries.  In  preference 
to  the  hat,  the  pads,  and  so  on,  precaution  against  the 
sun  should  be  taken,  not  by  exterior  protection,  but  by 
a  sensible  diet  and  by  keeping  one's  digestive  organs 
in  good  working  order.  Intoxicants,  for  instance,  are 
fatal  in  tropical  countries,  and  many  a  sunstroke,  many 
a  nasty  skin  eruption,  many  a  severe  attack  of  fever 
might  be  traced  with  more  reason  to  the  disintegrating 
effects  of  whisky,  brandy  or  absinthe  upon  one's  blood 
than  to  the  treachery  of  the  sun's  rays.  The  two  com- 
bined, of  course,  are  deadly.  I  have  always  noticed  in 
my  travelling  experience  that  people  who  drank  in 
moderation,  or  not  at  all,  could  stand  tropical  climates 
with  no  difficulty,  where  those  indulging  freely  in  alcohol 
generally  died.  The  sun,  believe  me,  is  the  friend,  not 
the  enemy,  of  healthy,  sober  men. 

We  halted  for  a  night  at  Ursu,  where  two  wells  of 
fairly  good  water,  somewhat  muddy,  but  quite  drinkable, 
were  found.  There  were  several  caravans  with  flocks  of 
black-headed  sheep,  which  had  made  their  camp  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  the  men  were  busy  filling  skins  with 
water. 

Perhaps  it  does  not  always  do  to  see  what  one  drinks ; 
for  instance,  at  the  wells  where  the  water  was  taken 
for  my  camp  were  men  standing  with  their  feet  in  the 
water  in  the  pool  about  four  feet  deep,  and  the  water 
was  scooped  into  the  bucket  generally  with  the  hand. 
When  they  had  finished  filling  the  buckets  they  generally 


38  ACROSS    WIDEST  AFRICA 

ended  by  washing  the  face  and  head  in  the  well,  and  it 
was  better  not  to  investigate  how  many  faces  had  been 
cleansed  before  we  got  there. 

An  ingenious  arrangement  was  made  to  allow  the 
animals  to  drink  without  further  contaminating  the  water 
of  the  pool.  A  hollow  had  been  made  in  the  ground 
with  a  circle  of  stones  around  it.  When  animals  were 
brought  up,  a  skin  was  spread  over  this  hollow  and  filled 
with  water,  which  this  improvised  water-tight  basin 
perfectly  contained. 

The  Abyssinian  soldiers  of  my  escort  began  to  give 
me  trouble  from  the  first  day.  I  had  selected  the 
Bilen  road  across  the  desert  as  it  was  the  shortest 
and  flattest  for  my  animals,  although  the  natives  of 
that  portion  of  the  trail  had  been  particularly  nasty  of 
late.  We  unfortunately  met  some  caravan  men,  who 
told  us  that  two  Abyssinians  and  an  Arab  had 
been  killed  and  mutilated  by  the  Danakil  in  the  Bilen 
desert.  My  Somali  were  quite  willing  to  come  along, 
but  the  Abyssinian  soldiers  were  so  frightened  and 
worried  me  to  such  an  extent  that,  in  order  to  save 
delay  and  annoyance,  I  eventually  agreed  to  proceed 
by  the  Assabot  trail.  It  was  quite  amusing  to  notice 
the  contempt  which  my  Somali  had  for  the  Abyssinians. 
One  of  my  camel-men  particularly,  who  was  quite  a 
character,  did  not  spare  the  Abyssinian  warriors  some 
humour  of  his  own,  not  always  the  essence  of  refine- 
ment. 

Several  picturesque  Somali  came  into  my  camp 
armed  with  spears  and  one  or  two  with  excellent  Gras 
rifles.  Just  before  the  sun  had  gone  down,  I  took  out 
my  camera  in  order  to  photograph  the  group,  but  they 
all  stood  up  and  refused  to  be  taken,  as  they  said  they 


HERRER  39 

knew  all  about  the  harm  white  people  did  with  these 
instruments,  and  many  of  their  friends  had  already  been 
killed  by  them. 

As  night  came  on,  more  people  from  the  other  cara- 
vans came  to  my  camp,  and  while  under  my  tent,  by 
the  light  of  my  lantern,  I  could  see  outside  a  row  of 
human  eyes,  upon  which  the  light  was  reflected,  moving 
up  and  down,  following  the  movements  of  my  hand 
while  I  was  eating.  The  colour  of  their  skin  was  quite 
indistinguishable  in  the  blackness  of  the  night,  which  it 
well  matched.     They  were  respectful  and  peaceful. 

We  left  Ursu  the  next  morning  at  3.30,  going  along 
a  flat  highland,  then  over  slight  undulations,  travelling 
first  southward  ;  then,  leaving  behind  the  high,  flat- 
topped  plateau  to  the  east  of  us,  which  we  had  so  far 
skirted,  we  went  due  west  at  elevations  never  more 
than  3,400  feet  in  the  first  four  hours'  marching.  We 
passed  a  few  deserted  huts  here  and  there,  a  square 
structure  somewhat  more  solidly  built  on  the  saddle 
of  a  hill,  a  few  goats  and  some  cattle  and  a  green  patch 
or  two  of  cultivation.  A  lot  of  vultures  (the  amor  a  of 
the  Somalis)  were  circling  overhead  with  their  weird, 
piercing  shrieks  ;  as  we  drew  nearer  hundreds  of  them 
were  pecking  away  at  the  carcase  of  a  dead  cow. 

We  had  by  now  reached  the  charming  little  Herrer 
river,  with  its  clear  water,  quite  a  refreshing  sight 
after  the  long  march  over  arid,  semi-barren  country. 
We  arrived  in  camp  at  noon,  the  last  four  hours  of  our 
march  having  been  in  a  south-westerly  direction  over 
undulating  country.  W^e  were  now  3,610  feet  above 
sea  level.  There  were  here  hot-water  springs,  to  which 
the  people  called  the  Hawuya,  who  live  here,  attribute 
medicinal  qualities,  especially  for  curing  sores  and  skin 


40  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

eruptions.  In  fact,  when  I  went  to  the  springs,  some 
sixty  feet  higher  than  my  camp,  I  tasted  some  of  the 
water,  which  seemed  shghtly  sulphurous. 

The  Hawuya,  hke  the  Gurgura,  speak  Somah,  and 
some  also  understand  the  Galla  language. 

During  my  dinner  in  the  evening,  there  was  a  fine 
concert  of  hyenas  prowling  around  my  camp,  and  while 
I  was  enjoying  "stewed  pears  and  rice"  for  dessert  there 
was  a  great  excitement  in  camp,  animals  stampeding 
in  all  directions  and  men  shouting.  When  peace  was 
restored  we  discovered  that  one  of  my  camels  had  a 
large  slice  of  his  left  hind  leg  bitten  off  by  a  panther. 
This  left  the  camel  minus  a  big  semi-circle  in  his 
anatomy,  but  except  that  the  animal  walked  lame,  he 
was  apparently  not  much  the  worse  for  it,  and  we  were 
able  to  proceed  the  next  morning,  wending  our  way 
between  various  camps  of  Hawuya.  The  natives  were 
squatting  down  round  big  fires,  and  possessed  large 
numbers  of  donkeys. 

Over  open,  undulating  country  we  came,  after  one 
and  a  half  hours'  march,  to  the  beautiful,  clear  Gotha 
stream  ;  then  up  and  down  over  wavy  ground  with 
absolutely  nothing  to  interest  one  on  the  way,  skirting  a 
fairly  high  range  to  our  west  and  south-west,  we  arrived 
at  the  camp  of  Ella  Balla  (altitude  3,950  feet).  There 
was  a  big  well,  some  thirty  feet  deep  and  thirty-five 
feet  in  diameter,  and  around  it  quite  an  interesting 
scene.  Some  dozens  of  Danakil — since  Plerrer  we 
were  in  the  Danakil  country — were  busy  watering  a  large 
herd  of  cattle.  Two  troughs  were  provided  on  the  upper 
edge  of  the  well,  while  three  sets  of  men  had  taken 
positions  at  intervals  up  the  incline  of  the  interior  of 
the  well,  the  last  man  below  standing  in  water  up  to 


THE   DANAKIL  41 

his  waist.  Small  buckets  were  quickly  filled  and  thrown 
up  with  great  celerity  and  skill ;  they  were  emptied  in 
rotation  and  returned  down,  not  one  ever  being  missed. 

The  Danakil  are  a  morose,  ill-natured  and  sus- 
picious people,  with  evil  manners  and  cruel  faces.  I 
nearly  got  into  trouble  with  them  in  endeavouring 
to  take  a  photograph  of  the  scene  at  the  well.  When 
I  pulled  out  my  camera,  they  all  made  for  their  spears, 
which  were  bundled  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and 
with  suggestive  signs  and  angry  words  gave  me 
plainly  to  understand  that  I  must  go  or  they  would 
hurl  their  weapons.  I  snapped  them  all  the  same ;  but 
we  had  quite  a  row  with  these  fellows,  and  they 
insisted  that  we  must  not  stop  even  to  look  at  them 
near  the  well.  My  Abyssinian  soldiers  were  so  scared 
that  they  made  things  a  great  deal  worse  ;  they  behaved 
like  silly  children  and  took  refuge  behind  me.  I  refused 
to  go  away  from  the  well  until  it  suited  me,  as  it  is  fatal 
in  any  country  to  show  weakness,  but  it  was  all  I  could 
do  to  prevent  the  Abyssinians  running  away.  The 
Somalis  behaved  well  and  were  quite  cool  and  col- 
lected. When  all  the  Danakil  had  gradually  left  off 
using  violent  and  threatening  language  against  us,  I 
pitched  my  camp  some  fifty  yards  from  the  well  up  on  a 
high  position. 

These  Danakil  are  well  known  for  their  treachery, 
and  they  are  said  to  have  a  particular  craving  for  killing 
white  people  and  mutilating  them  in  the  most  horrible 
fashion.  It  was  near  this  spot  that  the  French  news- 
paper correspondent,  Monsieur  Dubois-Dessaulle,  was 
murdered  and  mutilated,  as  has  been  described  in 
Chapter  IL;  and,  as  I  have  said,  an  Arab — whom  the 
Danakil    also    look    upon     as    white    men — and    two 


42  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Abyssinians  met  with  a  similar  fate  only  a  few  days 
before  I  went  through. 

It  is  considered  dangerous  to  go  away  even  a  few 
yards  from  one's  camp  while  in  their  country,  for  these 
Danakil  lie  in  wait  with  their  spears  ;  they  see  you 
get  away  from  your  caravan,  and  when  you  are  within 
reach  they  fling  a  spear  at  you  with  such  force  that  it 
sometimes  goes  right  through  the  body.  If  spectators 
from  their  own  tribe  are  present  to  witness  the  killing  of 
a  man  the  body  is  left  intact,  but  if  there  is  no  one  to  see 
the  performance  certain  organs  are  cut  out  and  tied  in 
the  centre  of  the  shield  in  order  to  be  produced  to  the 
tribe  to  show  that  a  man  and  not  a  woman  has  been 
killed. 

Certain  tribes,  wilder  than  others,  remove  also  the 
heart  of  the  victim  and  give  it  to  their  horses  to  eat. 
One  can  generally  recognize  Danakil  who  have  killed 
one  or  more  victims  by  the  number  of  feathers  they 
place  in  their  hair — one  for  each  man — or  else  by  the 
number  of  bracelets  and  amulets. 

We  met  a  good  many  of  these  fellows,  and  I  tried 
on  many  occasions  to  make  friends  with  them,  but  they 
were  always  extremely  suspicious,  especially  when  one 
treated  them  politely.  In  the  middle  of  a  conversation 
they  would  suddenly  jump  up  and  dart  away,  and  no 
coaxing  would  induce  them  to  turn  round  in  their  flight 
and  return  to  continue  the  conversation.  Their  saluta- 
tion was  quite  original  and  well  showed  the  diffident 
nature  of  these  people  even  among  themselves.  One 
could  not  persuade  them  to  be  grasped  by  the  hand. 
On  meeting  even  members  of  their  own  tribe  they  would 
strike  each  other's  palm  with  outstretched  fingers  quickly 
and  rapidly,  in  order  to  prevent  any  possibility  of  having 


MISCHIEVOUS   JACKALS  43 

the  hand  seized.  They  say  that  the  French  corre- 
spondent, M.  Dubois-Dessaulle,  met  his  fate  by  wanting 
to  teach  his  murderer  how  to  shake  hands  properly  in 
European  fashion.  The  Danakil,  having  had  his  hand 
seized  by  the  Frenchman  in  a  hearty  fashion,  became 
alarmed  and  thrust  his  spear  through  him.  This,  at 
least,  was  the  excuse  given  by  the  Danakil  chief,  when 
Menelik  sent  soldiers  in  order  to  capture  the  murderer, 
as  Mr.  MacMillan,  the  leader  of  the  expedition,  would 
stand  no  nonsense  and  insisted  on  having  the  murderer 
punished. 

Another  early  start  was  made  from  Ella  Balla. 
About  sunrise  we  saw  any  amount  of  wild  game  : 
gazelles,  jackals,  and  a  magnificent  panther,  creeping 
gracefully  along  the  ground  like  a  huge  cat  and  only  a 
few  yards  from  me.  Jackals,  of  which  there  were 
thousands  about  at  night,  were  amusing  and  often 
somewhat  trying  little  animals.  They  sneaked  silently 
into  one's  camp  and  stole  whatever  small  articles  they 
could  find,  especially  if  made  of  leather  or  canvas. 

At  Ella  Balla,  for  instance,  they  actually  came  into 
my  tent  and  carried  away  my  shoes.  It  was  only  after 
a  search  which  lasted  nearly  an  hour  that  my  men 
were  able  to  recover  them  some  good  distance  from 
camp. 

Another  night,  further  up  country,  they  stole  a  belt 
and  revolver  belonging  to  one  of  my  Abyssinian  soldiers 
and  dragged  it  some  hundreds  of  yards  from  where  we 
had  halted. 

Besides  these  jackals,  or  cahoro,  as  the  Abyssinians 
call  them,  and  the  medaflher,  or  gazelles,  lions  are 
plentiful  in  that  country,  and  one  has  to  keep  big  fires 
at  night  in  order  to  keep  them  at  large. 


44  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

The  Danakil,  too^  have  to  be  kept  at  a  respectful 
distance,  as  they  are  unscrupulous  thieves  and  will  steal 
anything  they  can  lay  their  hands  upon. 

At  about  11.30  a.m.  we  arrived  at  Magu  (3,450  feet), 
an  unimportant  place,  with  fair  drinking  water.  The 
Danakil  we  met  were  troublesome.  They  were  being 
hunted  by  Menelik's  soldiers  in  order  to  obtain  the 
surrender  of  the  murderers  of  the  Arab  and  the 
Abyssinians.  Near  Magu  were  some  Danakil  huts  about 
five  feet  in  height,  domed  and  covered  with  matting. 
These  huts,  generally  in  groups  of  three  or  four,  were 
inside  a  kraal  of  thorns,  in  which  the  oxen  were  kept 
at  night.  The  gate  of  the  kraal  was  made  with  tree 
branches  to  prevent  wild  animals  coming  in. 

On  January  17th,  at  4  a.m.,  we  were  off  again  over 
undulating  country,  skirting  the  big  mountain  range 
on  our  left.  By  eight  o'clock  we  had  arrived  at  Delladu, 
sometimes  also  called  Kalladu,  where  a  large  well  and 
two  smaller  dry  ones  were  to  be  found.  From  this 
point  we  were  again  out  of  the  Danakil  country  and 
found  Hawuya  people,  who  possessed  a  lot  of  cattle 
with  gigantic  straight  horns. 

I  continued  up  and  down  steep  inclines,  and  then 
along  an  interminable  hot  plain.  We  mistook  our 
way,  as  we  made  for  an  old  well,  which  we  found  dry, 
so  that  we  only  arrived  at  Mulluh  at  1.30  in  the  after- 
noon. A  well  was  found  there  dug  in  the  rock  and 
some  sixteen  feet  deep.  A  similar  method  to  that 
seen  in  the  Danakil  country  was  employed  here  for 
watering  cattle  by  throwing  up  buckets  of  water.  My  in- 
struments registered  the  elevation  of  Mulluh  at  4,000  feet. 

Kamil  Pasha,  chief  of  the  Danakil,  came  to  my 
camp   to  pay   his  respects,   and  presented  me  with  a 


Danakil  and  Gurgura  filling  skin-hags  with  water  at  a  well. 


RACIAL   DISLIKE  45 

goat,  which  necessitated  a  return  visit  to  his  tent  with 
a  suitable  present  of  money.  He  was  extremely  civil, 
and  I  took  this  opportunity  of  snapshotting  him  and 
his  men.  In  the  photograph,  which  is  reproduced  in 
one  of  the  illustrations,  it  will  be  seen  how  some  of 
his  Heutenants  were  covering  their  faces  in  order  not 
to  be  photographed* 

The  next  morning,  three  hours'  marching  over  undula- 
ting country  and  across  beds  of  streams  now  devoid  of 
water,  took  us  to  Maisso  (altitude  4,300  feet),  called  so 
because  of  a  small  plant  found  there  in  quantities  and 
named  mais  (not  to  be  confounded  with  ma'is — the 
French  for  Indian  corn). 

We  left  again  in  the  afternoon,  and  marched  at  a  good 
pace  over  undulating  country  quite  picturesque  in  some 
parts,  with  the  rugged  Assabot  mountains  on  our  right. 
Herds  of  antelopes  gracefully  ran  before  us  and  were 
soon  out  of  sight.  Among  plenty  of  trees,  but  with  no 
water,  we  eventually  descended  at  Laga  Arba  into  a 
sort  of  cafion,  rising  again  on  the  other  side,  where 
I  made  my  camp,  obtaining  a  beautiful  view  of  the 
extensive  plateau  we  had  crossed  and  left  behind,  and 
of  a  curious  isolated  mountain  standing  upon  it. 

We  were  now  at  an  elevation  of  4,600  feet,  and  it 
was  quite  cold  at  night. 

Whether  it  was  the  cold  air  which  brought  out  more 
forcibly  the  racial  dislike,  or  whether  for  other  reasons, 
there  was  a  violent  quarrel  in  the  evening  between  my 
Somali  and  the  Abyssinians.  Both  swore  that  they 
would  kill  the  others  before  the  morning  came.  I 
separated  them,  and  placed  the  Abyssinians  on  one 
side  of  the  camp  and  the  Somah  some  way  off  on  the 
other  side. 


46  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

The  soldiers  built  up  big  fires  to  keep  jackals  and 
other  animals  away^  while  the  horses  and  the  mules 
were  tethered  close  to  my  tent.  The  camels  squatted 
in  a  circle  near  the  Somali. 

It  was  the  habit  of  the  Somali  camel-men  when  we 
made  an  early  start  to  sing  to  their  hearts'  content — 
more  so  than  to  the  content  of  the  ears  of  whoever  had 
to  listen  to  them — but  that  morning  the  Somali  were 
sulky  and  grumpy  and  did  not  sing  nor  speak.  The 
Abyssinians  were  morose  and  unpleasant.  I  found  the 
best  thing  on  such  occasions  was  to  take  no  notice  of 
either  of  them  and  pretend  they  did  not  exist  at  all. 

From  Laga  Arba  we  descended  considerably  on  our 
march,  and  at  one  time  we  got  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  Bilen  desert,  of  a  bright  yellow  colour.  More 
gazelles,  more  jackals. 

The  camp  at  Laga  Arba,  so  cold  at  night,  was  ex- 
tremely hot  in  the  daytime.  The  horses  and  mules 
stampeded  again  for  some  reason  or  other,  and  gave 
us  no  end  of  trouble  to  recapture  them.  This  incident 
brought  peace  afresh  among  my  men,  who  all  joined  in 
the  chase  of  the  animals. 

Near  Laga  Arba  were  a  few  Ito  inhabitants,  with 
their  flocks  of  sheep,  goats  and  some  cattle.  A  sheep 
is  worth  about  one  thaler,  or  two  shillings,  in  that  country. 
These  Ito  speak  the  Galla  language,  and  they  are  quiet, 
gentle  people,  quite  unlike  their  neighbours,  the  Danakil. 
They  belong  to  a  different  race  altogether  and  have 
a  language  of  their  own,  whereas  other  people  we  have 
met,  like  the  Hawuya,  the  Issa,  the  Gurgura,  the 
Haberual  or  Hawaraoer,  the  Ghedebursi  and  the 
Dahrot,  speak  Somali. 

Beyond  the  beautiful    Gadjenna   mountains  to    the 


A   GLORIOUS   SKY  47 

south-west  over  the  Hawash  river,  we  had  a  lovely  sunset, 
resembling  an  aurora  horealis,  with  huge  red  and  blue 
streaks  radiating  from  the  centre — the  sun — and  shoot- 
ing skyward  half-way  across  the  heavenly  circle.  The 
glorious  effect  lasted  a  long  time. 

Camp  Argaga  (altitude  3,550  feet),  where  we  stopped 
next,  had  no  particular  fascination,  and  nothing  hap- 
pened except  jackals  coming  into  camp  again  during 
the  night  and  stealing  another  revolver  case  and  two 
soldiers'  hats. 

Shortly  after  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  moved 
out  of  Argaga,  and  some  two  hours  later  came  across 
the  telephone  line  on  the  high  caravan  road  from  Harrar 
via  Tchertcher,  leading  to  Adis-Ababa. 

We  travelled  mostly  over  flat  desert  country,  with 
some  short  grass  upon  it  here  and  there.  The  Katchenua 
mountains  before  us  were  a  typical  instance  of  Abyssinian 
scenery — curious  isolated  mountains  rising  abruptly 
above  flat  country. 

A  small  shed  for  caravans  had  been  built  by  Menelik 
on  a  hill  by  the  wayside,  but  we  did  not  stop  there. 
We  went  along  and  crossed  the  small  Katchenua  stream, 
then  continued  for  another  hour  and  a  half's  march  to 
the  Hawash,  meeting  on  the  high  road  many  caravans 
of  coffee  and  hides.  The  men  in  charge  of  these 
caravans  suffered  from  sore  eyes,  caused  by  the  dust 
which  is  raised  in  clouds  by  the  animals  walking  in  front 
of  them.  Nearly  all  these  caravans  were  in  charge 
of  Galla.  The  hides  were  carried  mostly  on  camels.  We 
came  across  several  caravans  of  mules  also,  but  these 
were  chiefly  laden  with  coffee. 

After  a  steady  march  of  seven  and  a  half  hours  from 
Argaga  we  arrived  at  the  new  bridge  on  the  Hawash 


48  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

liver,  a  somewhat  shaky  construction,  spanning  the 
stream  some  forty  feet  across.  This  bridge  has  been 
given  into  the  charge  of  the  Carayu,  a  tribe  of  Galla. 

It  was  from  this  bridge,  where  the  high  volcanic  walls 
were  closer  together,  that  I  obtained  the  first  and  last 
really  beautiful  view  in  the  way  of  scenery  since  I 
had  landed  in  Abyssinia.  We  suddenly  came  upon  the 
deep  canon  in  which  the  Hawash  river  runs,  a  huge 
vertical  crack  in  the  bluish  volcanic  rock,  in  one  portion 
with  quite  vertical  walls  on  both  sides  of  the  stream 
for  some  hundreds  of  yards.  In  other  sections  it  is 
broader  and  with  slanting  banks. 

The  Hawash  river  was  the  largest  I  had  met  since 
leaving  the  coast.  During  the  rainy  season  it  carries 
a  considerable  volume  of  water.  I  made  my  camp 
on  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  but  there  was  no  shade 
of  any  kind  to  be  obtained  and  the  heat  refracted  by  the 
volcanic  rock  was  terrific. 


Hawash  river,  showiii"  vulcanic  fissure. 


49 


CHAPTER    V. 

At  the  Hawash  bridge,  where  the  river  ran  in  the  vol- 
canic fissure  from  south-south-east  to  north-north-west, 
the  vertical  sides  were,  especially  in  the  lower  portion, 
baked  quite  black,  as  if  they  had  been  subjected  to 
intense  heat  ;  in  some  places,  too,  even  high  upon  the 
wall,  one  could  see  where  the  flames  had  licked  the 
rock.  Directly  north  of  the  bridge  was  an  oval 
"  cuvette,"  which  appeared  to  have  been  a  crater,  with 
huge  black,  round  boulders  on  the  east  side.  The 
altitude  of  the  river  by  the  water  at  this  point  was 
2,700  feet,  the  wall-like  rocks  by  its  side  along  the 
stream  varying  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  high  above 
it.  The  elevation  of  the  place  where  I  made  the  camp 
was  2,800  feet. 

South-south-east  of  the  bridge,  and  only  a  short 
distance  from  it,  the  stream  flowed  northward  for  a 
long  distance  in  an  almost  straight  line  between  two  high 
slopes  resembling  natural  gigantic  railway  embank- 
ments, some  two  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  level  of 
the  stream. 

The  strata  of  the  parallel  embankments,  which  cor- 
respond exactly  on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  would  seem 
to  show  that  the  earth  had  opened,  leaving  this  enormous 
fissure,  which,  owing  to  the  erosion  of  water  and  wind, 
and  possibly  to  other  minor  causes,  has  gradually 
assumed  a  slope  in  the  upper  and  softer  strata. 

VOL.   I.  4 


50  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

My  camel-men,  having  met  many  of  their  tribesmen 
here  on  the  river,  again  became  troublesome,  and  were 
dissatisfied  with  everything  in  general. 

The  purchase  price  of  camels  in  this  region  was  from 
fifteen  to  twenty-five  thalers.  For  the  hire  of  camels 
from  Dire-Dawa  to  Adis- Ababa,  a  journey  from  twelve 
to  thirteen  days.  Englishmen  were  made  to  pay  as  much 
as  thirty  dollars  for  the  hire  of  each  camel. 

Several  Carayu  women  came  to  barter  milk  and  butter 
with  my  men.  It  was  a  relief  to  find  people  who  would 
not  take  money.  These  Carayu  were  flat-headed,  with 
curly  hair,  left  hanging  down  in  twists  over  the  neck, 
as  far  as  the  shoulders.  They  wore  peculiar  semicircular 
earrings,  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  broad 
metal  bar  in  the  lower  part.  Around  this  bar  were 
coil  ornamentations.  The  semicircle  of  the  ring  was 
heavy  with  silver  or  copper  wire  wound  round  it ;  in 
fact,  the  weight  was  such  that  a  leather  strap  had  to  be 
attached  to  it  to  go  over  the  ear  in  order  to  support  it, 
so  that  the  lobe  should  not  become  torn.  Only  one  ear- 
ring was  worn,  generally  on  the  left  ear.  When  an 
additional  earring  was  worn  on  the  right  ear  it  was 
invariably  of  a  different  shape,  such  as  an  elongated 
ring  of  bone  or  metal,  or  else  a  lozenge.  Old  women 
wore  a  strap  over  the  forehead.  Broad  bangles  were 
worn  upon  the  wrists.  Necklaces  of  small  white  and 
red  beads  were  fashionable  when  I  passed  through  the 
country.  Beads  of  other  colours  were  on  no  account 
accepted  in  payment  for  goods  supplied. 

With  nearly  all  these  tribes,  except  in  young 
women,  the  breasts  were  abnormally  pendent.  The 
arms  were  well  formed  and  beautifully  rounded,  but 
the  hands  were  coarse. 


THE   CARAVU  51 

The  women  had  on  leather  skirts,  extraordinarily 
dirty  and  shiny  at  the  knees,  and  the  better  dressed 
draped  over  the  shoulders  a  cloth  shawl.  Brass  anklets 
adorned  the  lower  limbs  and  drew  attention  to  the  well- 
formed  and  dainty  ankles  which  the  Carayu  women 
possess. 

Slung  upon  the  back  these  ladies  carried  gourds  of 
rancid  milk  and  butter.  Some  of  these  gourds  were 
handsomely  decorated  with  white  shells,  others  were 
covered  with  a  protective,  finely-made  basket-work, 
with  pendants  of  bits  of  discarded  sardine  tins. 

Upon  examination,  the  principal  thing  which  struck 
the  observer  in  their  otherwise  well-proportioned  heads 
was  the  flatness  of  the  upper  portion  of  the  skull.  The 
nose  was  small,  broad  in  its  upper  portion,  but  not  so 
much  at  the  base,  where  it  had  rather  clearly-defined, 
well-curved  nostrils.  The  eyes  were  wide  apart,  the 
lips  fairly  ample  and  the  chin  receding.  In  profile, 
the  outline  of  the  lower  jaw  formed  an  almost  straight 
line  from  the  chin  to  the  ear  instead  of  the  more  common 
angular  form  of  most  African  tribes. 

Carayu  men  possessed  skulls  more  elongated  back- 
wards than  the  women.  They  twisted  the  hair  of  the 
head  in  a  similar  way  to  their  female  companions. 
Some  were  proud  of  a  slight  moustache  and  beard,  but 
they  did  not  wear  many  ornaments,  except  round  the 
neck  a  string,  generally  of  leather,  and  perhaps  an 
occasional  brass  or  copper  bracelet  round  the  wrist  or 
a  larger  ring  above  the  elbow. 

We  had  amusing  scenes  with  these  people,  bartering 
empty  sardine  and  corned  beef  tins  for  buckets  of  milk 
and  pots  of  butter.     Only,  as  we  generally  threw  away 
empty  tins,  we  soon  came  to  an  end  of  our  currency. 
VOL,   I.  4* 


52  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

I  wished  to  buy  a  bag  of  grain,  but  the  woman  who 
owned  it  would  on  no  account  accept  silver  money  for 
it,  nor  any  article  which  she  saw  about  my  camp.  My 
Somali  servant  had  a  bright  idea — ^the  only  one  he 
had  during  the  entire  journey  across  Africa.  He  went 
to  one  of  the  boxes  of  provisions,  and  tore  off  a  highly- 
coloured  label  from  a  corned-beef  box.  Having  licked 
it  copiously,  he  stuck  it  in  the  middle  of  his  forehead. 
Inquisitive  like  all  women,  the  Carayu  asked  him  what 
he  did  it  for.  The  Somali  said  that  he  had  been  seized 
with  a  violent  headache.  The  coloured  paper  was  a 
quick  and  certain  cure.  The  Carayu  at  once  offered 
the  bag  of  grain  if  the  Somali  would  part  with  the 
magic  paper.  Her  wish  was  satisfied  without  delay,  and 
the  woman  departed  quite  happy. 

In  this  camp  animals  and  men  suffered  considerably 
from  the  terrific  heat.  During  the  day  we  were  simply 
roasted  by  the  refraction  from  the  volcanic  rock.  It 
actually  burnt  so  that  we  could  not  touch  it  with  our 
hands. 

We  left  early  in  the  afternoon  and  rose  on  the  top  of 
the  plateau  to  3,000  feet,  some  three  hundred  feet  above 
the  river  at  the  bottom  of  the  volcanic  fissure.  The 
moment  we  reached  this  elevation  we  got  a  pleasant 
breeze  and  began  to  breathe  again.  We  were  now 
travelling  upon  an  extensive  flat  high-land,  with  hardly 
any  vegetation  except  a  little  grass  and  a  few  shrubs. 

To  the  south-east  was  the  Katchenua  mountain  ;  to 
the  south  in  the  distance  the  Arusi  Mount,  and  to  the 
west  the  Fantalli  mountains.  The  Bulgo  and  the 
Ansobar  mountains  stood  beyond.  The  entire  country 
over  which  we  were  travelling  was  of  volcanic  formation, 
and  was  strewn  everywhere  with  eruptive  boulders. 


Adem  bartering  with  Carayu  women.      Silver  dollars  useless 


FANTALLI  53 

On  nearing  the  Fantalli  mountains,  which  we  crossed 
by  a  low  pass,  we  passed  over  stretches  of  volcanic, 
cellular,  spongy  rock,  which  seemed  to  have  been  sub- 
jected to  high  temperatures.  North  of  the  Fantalli 
mountains,  in  the  immense  plain  stretching  before  us, 
and  only  about  one  hour  and  a  half's  journey  from  my 
last  camp,  were  to  be  found  hot  springs,  the  Filoamelka, 
the  steaming  water  of  which,  the  natives  say,  has 
curative  powers. 

Before  getting  to  the  Fantalli  camp  we  came  upon  two 
trails,  one  proceeding  by  the  hot  springs,  which  is  the 
better  of  the  two  and  quite  level  for  camels  ;  the  other, 
more  picturesque,  which  I  followed,  going  over  the 
Fantalli  Pass. 

A  Frenchman  had  started  a  plantation  of  tobacco, 
cotton,  coffee  and  vegetables  a  short  way  beyond  the 
hot  springs. 

We  halted  at  6.30  p.m.,  and  as  there  was  no  wood  we 
were  unable  to  make  fires  and  do  our  cooking,  so  my 
coffee,  which  I  always  like  hot,  was  brewed  over  a 
candle.  There  were  many  hyenas  howling  round  our 
camp  with  their  funereal  cries.  We  had  seen  a  lot  of 
large  antelopes  during  the  day.  Since  leaving  the 
Hawash  we  had  descended  to  2,900  feet,  and  the  march 
in  the  hot  afternoon  sun  was  trying  for  my  animals. 
There  was  near  the  Hawash  river  little  vegetation  except 
a  few  shrubs  bent  and  baked  by  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
but  in  the  Fantalli  region  there  was  absolutely  no  wood. 

On  January  22nd  we  again  made  an  early  start 
shortly  after  three  a.m.,  and  although  the  moon  would 
not  be  up  till  an  hour  or  so  later,  we  were  able  to  see  our 
way  quite  clearly  by  the  brilhant  light  of  the  stars.  The 
trail  was  rocky  in  many  places — quite    bad,  especially 


54  ACROSS  WIDEST   AFRICA 

for  camels,  as  there  were  high  steps  to  go  over  upon  the 
rock.  The  heat  was  stifling  all  through  the  night,  and 
we  only  got  a  slight  breeze  when  we  reached  another 
pass,  3,250  feet  high.  On  descending,  we  again  en- 
countered the  camel  trail  via  the  hot  springs. 

We  reached  the  Tadetchimalka  river,  which  we 
followed,  making  a  temporary  halt  at  eight  o'clock.  On 
a  height  above  our  camping-ground  was  a  freshly-built 
village  of  circular  straw  huts  with  conical  roofs,  the 
quarters  of  a  guard  of  Abyssinian  soldiers. 

This  point  was  well  known  among  natives.  They 
said  there  were  many  robbers  of  camels  here.  In  fact, 
as  I  was  lying  on  my  camp-bed  after  breakfast,  waiting 
for  the  hot  hours  of  the  day  to  go  by,  one  of  my  camel- 
men  came  to  me  in  great  excitement,  spear  and  shield 
in  hand.  One  of  the  camels  had  been  stolen — 'the  best 
of  the  whole  lot,  of  course — and  he  would  go  and  kill  the 
thief.  I  heartily  consented  to  that,  upon  which  he  leapt 
in  the  air  brandishing  his  spear,  and  ran  to  and  fro  in 
trace  of  the  missing  animal. 

Nearly  all  camel-men  I  have  employed  in  my  journeys 
in  Asia  and  Africa  seem  to  have  ill-balanced  brains. 
Whether  it  is  the  heat  of  the  sun  upon  the  desert,  the 
company  of  camels,  or  perhaps  the  unnatural  life  they 
lead,  constantly  marching  at  night  and  sleeping  during 
the  day,  or  other  causes,  I  could  not  say,  but  the  fact 
remains  that  I  have  never  yet  seen  a  camel-man  who 
was  absolutely  in  his  right  mind. 

The  fellow  who  had  approached  me  in  such  a  warlike 
temper  was  a  curious  type.  Tall  and  slender  to  a  degree, 
with  a  dreamy  face  like  a  poet ;  a  great  lover  of  music, 
if  music  there  was  at  all  in  the  songs  which  he  gave  in 
a  rasping  falsetto  voice  when  he  was  awake  and  every- 


THE   WAYS   OF   CAMEL-MEN  55 

body  else  trying  to  sleep  ;  lo\4ng  to  a  degree  to  the 
animals  of  which  he  had  charge  ;  moody  and  disobedient 
as  only  an  African  can  be.  One  moment  he  would  cry 
bitter  tears,  and  the  next  he  would  laugh  to  his  heart's 
content.  Sulky  and  unpleasant  for  hours  he  made 
himself,  if  I  spoke  to  my  other  men  and  took  no  notice 
of  him.  His  dehght  had  no  bounds  one  day,  when,  tired 
of  incessant  begging,  I  presented  him  with  a  pair  of 
trousers.  The  first  thing  he  did  with  them  was  to  cut 
them  so  that  they  should  reach  five  or  six  inches  above 
the  knee,  the  remaining  cloth  being  exchanged  there 
and  then  for  three  pots  of  butter.  His  only  baggage  was 
a  wooden  pillow,  which  he  always  carried  under  his  arm. 
When  in  a  fit  of  temper  he  took  great  delight  in  throwing 
things  about,  and  he  was  constantly  bent  on  quarrelling, 
until  I  applied  a  cure  for  this  bad  habit. 

While  the  camel-man  went  about  accusing  everybody 
of  stealing  the  camel,  and  threatening  to  run  his  spear 
through  them,  two  haggard,  worn  Danakil  dragged 
themselves  to  my  camp  and  saluted  me  by  shghtly 
touching  the  palm  of  my  hand.  Extreme  suffering  was 
depicted  on  their  faces,  and  upon  inquiry  I  learned  that 
they  had  been  three  days  without  food. 

"If  that  is  so,"  I  inquired,  ''what  is  it  that 
you  are  chewing  now  ?  You  have  something  in  your 
mouth." 

In  fact,  to  allay  his  hunger  one  man  had  for  the  last 
two  days  been  chewing  a  piece  of  hard  wood.  I  had 
some  food  given  them,  which  they  at  once  ravenously 
devoured.  Their  gratitude  was  such  that  they  grasped 
my  hands  and  feet  and  kissed  them  repeatedly.  I  also 
gave  them  provisions  to  last  them  for  some  days  until 
they  could  get  back  to  their  own  tribe. 


S6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Tadetchimalka  was  the  first  place  where  we  found 
real  Abyssinians^  as  none  but  savage  tribes  had  been 
met  until  now  except  officials  or  soldiers,  as  at  Dire- 
Dawa  or  on  the  railway.  Many  picturesque  people 
passed  the  camp  in  their  white  clothes  and  long  curved 
swords,  and  numerous  caravans  of  donkeys,  mules  and 
camels.  We  had  only  met  one  large  caravan  from 
Dire-Dawa  as  far  as  the  point  where  we  joined  the 
Tchertcher  Road,  but  now  that  the  principal  roads  to 
Adis-Ababa  had  converged  to  this  common  meeting- 
point  the  landscape  before  us  was  brightly  animated. 
One  could  see  that  civilization  was  making  progress  in 
the  country  by  the  number  of  animals  laden  with  corru- 
gated iron  roofing  bound  for  Menelik's  palace. 

To  the  north  of  my  camp  the  Wassil  mountains 
extended  westwards  behind  the  Barrakhet  mountains, 
which  were  somewhat  lower,  and  both  chains  were  rather 
barren. 

On  leaving  this  camp  we  rose  between  mountains  to 
3,820  feet,  and  we  got  a  glimpse  to  the  south  of  the  high 
Bohsat  mountains  in  the  distance.  On  quite  a  good 
road  made  by  Emperor  Menelik,  in  order  to  take  the 
traction  engines  purchased  from  the  English  firm  of 
Fowler  and  Co.  to  Adis-Ababa,  we  still  rose  further  to 
4,250  feet,  where,  owing  to  the  night  coming  on,  I 
had  to  halt  by  the  small  meziid,  or  "  praying  ground," 
on  the  hillock  which  marks  the  grave  of  a  Mahommedan. 
The  view  from  that  point  described  an  immense  arc  of 
a  circle  from  south  to  north.  To  the  south-west  was  the 
Galla  country  ;  beyond  the  Arusi  region  were  moun- 
tains in  several  consecutive  ranges  ;  then  below  us  the 
Carayu  country,  with  its  bright  yellow  desert  and  its 
peculiar  isolated  hills  rising  island-like  sheer  from  the 


AN   ABYSSINIAN   CUSTOM    HOUSE  57 

flat  country.  One  to  the  south-south-east,  more  pecuHar 
than  the  others,  had  the  appearance  of  a  large  crater 
in  a  conical  mountain. 

Nearer  us,  lighted  by  the  last  rays  of  a  dying  sun, 
were  the  Fantalli  mountains,  with  a  table-land  in  two 
superposed  terraces  spreading  a  considerable  distance 
to  the  west  of  FantalH.  To  the  north-east  was  now 
the  Wassil.  The  Barrakhet  mountains  stood  out  pro- 
minently and  appeared  of  a  curious  yellow  colour  in 
hundreds  of  little  rounded  humps.  With  the  golden 
rays  of  the  sun  shining  upon  them  each  mount  pro- 
jected a  deep  blue  shadow  over  the  hollow  between  it 
and  its  neighbour,  and  the  effect  produced  was  curious 
and  most  picturesque. 

Down  below  on  the  winding  road  the  stillness  of 
the  evening  was  disturbed  by  the  weird  song  of  camel- 
men,  interrupted  by  an  occasional  "  hop,"  the  favourite 
cry  of  caravan  men  to  urge  the  animals  up  an  incline. 
All  was  barren  around  us,  except  a  slope  on  which  a 
crop  of  barley  had  been  grown,  and  was  now  being  cut 
and  collected  into  high-domed  stacks. 

As  the  sun  set,  the  distant  mountains  became  more 
indistinct  and  inky  in  colour  ;  those  in  the  foreground 
taking  dark,  powerful  tones  of  a  deep  bluish  brown. 
Then  gradually  night  set  in  with  a  strong  wind  howling, 
and  men  and  animals  shivered  with  cold.  We  made  a 
later  start  in  the  morning  at  sunrise.  It  was  impossible 
to  get  the  Abyssinian  soldiers  out  of  their  blankets,  as 
they  said  they  were  frozen  and  ill. 

On  January  23rd,  we  travelled  over  a  high  plateau, 
on  which  cotton  and  dura  (sorghum)  were  grown.  Small 
villages  of  Mussulmans  and  Christians  were  to  be  found. 
Near  Tchoba  is  an  Abyssinian  Custom  House,  where 


58  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

traders  are  sometimes  given,  I  am  told,  considerable 
trouble  unless  they  are  willing  to  bribe  the  officials 
and  soldiers  in  charge.  They  gave  me  no  bother  what- 
ever, and,  indeed,  on  hearing  that  I  was  a  British  sub- 
ject, they  were  extremely  civil.  I  was  only  detained  a 
few  minutes  on  my  march  to  allow  time  for  my 
servant  to  go  up  to  the  Custom  House,  perched  at  a 
height  of  some  two  hundred  feet  above  the  trail,  a 
wall  being  built  all  along  and  across  the  slope,  in 
order  to  prevent  caravans  passing  through  except  by 
the   road. 

To  the  west  of  us  we  now  had  the  Magaghes  moun- 
tains called  Magassi  on  Marchand's  map. 

The  general  elevation  of  the  Tchoba  plateau  is  4,700 
feet,  the  highest  point  we  crossed  over  that  day  being 
5,080  feet,  and  later  in  the  day  occurred  a  second  pass 
5,020  feet  high,  where  two  stone  walls  marked  the  tomb 
of  a  chief.  Aba  Jambar,  killed  at  Fantalli  by  the  Carayu. 
As  one  goes  along  the  high  Tchoba  plateau,  one  still 
continues  to  obtain  a  fine  view  to  the  south-east,  the 
south  and  south-west.  Lake  Bata  Hara,  or  Mata  Hara, 
to  the  south-east  of  us,  with  a  lot  of  little  isolated  hills 
near  it,  was  now  becoming  disclosed  ;  then  to  the  south 
the  mountainous  mass  of  Bosseta,  with  a  series  of 
parallel  terraces  spreading  north-north-east,  and  with 
a  high  terrace  to  the  north-west. 

We  kept  at  an  elevation  varying  from  4,900  feet  to 
5,000  feet,  descending  to  the  west  by  a  gentle  incline  to 
4,850  feet,  then  rising  again  on  a  higher  plateau  in  a 
gradual  slope  to  5,275  feet.  Portions  of  this  plateau 
were  cultivated  with  dura.  We  went  on  rising  until 
we  reached  another  plateau  (5,610  feet),  on  which,  after 
travelling  a  long  distance,  we  encamped  near  the  former 


THE   VALUE   OF   CARTRIDGES  59 

lakelet  of  Menabella.  The  lake  which  formerly  existed 
at  this  place  was  now  quite  dry,  and  we  had  difficulty 
in  getting  any  water  at  all. 

My  first  glimpse  of  real  Abyssinians  in  their  own 
country  was  certainly  not  an  enticing  one.  The  women 
with  shaved  heads,  or  else  with  their  hair  in  dirty  little 
curls,  were  as  ugly  as  it  is  possible  for  women  to  be.  A 
lot  of  them  came  into  my  camp  endeavouring  to  sell 
eggs,  barley  and  dura,  but  we  had  great  difficulty  in 
buying  anything,  as  they  would  not  accept  money, 
whether  Abyssinian  or  foreign,  and  only  Gras  car- 
tridges were  accepted  in  payment  for  their  goods.  I 
had  some  of  these  cartridges,  but  even  then  most  annoy- 
ing discussions  took  place  to  discover  whether  the 
cartridges  were  good  or  not.  Even  the  slightest  scratch 
on  the  paper  surrounding  the  lead  bullet,  where  it  is 
inserted  into  the  brass  envelope,  was  enough  to  cause  the 
rejection  of  the  good  cartridges  as  bad  ones.  So,  after 
hours  of  bargaining,  we  were  able  to  obtain  nothing  at 
all  from  the  natives.  My  Somali  attendant  was  more 
fortunate,  and  after  two  hours  of  steady  talk,  purchased 
seven  eggs  for  one  cartridge — ^the  only  bad  cartridge, 
it  may  be  observed,  that  we  possessed. 

We  moved  the  camp  away  to  a  place  where  the 
Abyssinians  said  we  should  find  good  water.  After 
marching  some  time  we  got  away  from  the  trail, 
and  I  was  led  to  a  very  secluded  spot,  a  fact  which 
rendered  me  suspicious.  Having  gone  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  road,  my  Somalis  rebelling  all  the 
time  against  going  in  that  direction,  as  they  said  there 
was  no  water  at  all,  at  one  moment  when  the  Abyssinian 
soldiers  were  ahead,  the  mad  camel-man  came  to  me 
and  made  a  sign  that  this  was  only  done  because  the 


6o  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Abyssinian  soldiers  wanted  to  play  us  false.  I  had 
suspected  as  much  from  the  beginning. 

Having  reached  a  distant  spot  away  from  everything 
and  everybody,  the  Abyssinians  professed  they  had 
made  a  mistake,  and  that  no  water  was  to  be  found. 
They  said  they  were  tired  and  worn,  and  could  not  go 
on  any  longer  and  we  must  stop.  I  had  watched  them 
carefully  and  had  seen  them  confabulating  in  an  excited 
manner.  I  saw  that  this  was  one  of  those  occasions 
when  tact  would  be  required. 

We  encamped,  and,  contrary  to  my  usual  habit,  I  had 
my  tent  pitched  at  once.  Under  it,  unseen  by  my 
men,  I  unpacked  a  heavy  44-calibre  revolver,  which  I 
happened  to  have  in  one  of  my  trunks  to  give  away  as 
a  present  to  some  chief,  and  loaded  the  six  chambers. 
I  also  loaded  my  Winchester  repeater  with  eight  car- 
tridges and  my  Mannlicher  with  a  five-cartridge  clip.  I 
had  a  presentiment  that  something  might  happen  soon, 
and,  in  fact,  I  was  not  far  wrong.  So  I  laid  all  these 
loaded  weapons  upon  my  bed.  The  Somali  servant 
came  in  presently  considerably  upset,  to  warn  me 
that  the  Abyssinian  soldiers  had  taken  me  to  this 
desolate  spot  in  order  to  impose  terms  upon  me.  He 
said  that  he  and  the  camel-men  would  stand  by  me,  so 
I  asked  him  to  remain  in  the  tent,  and  handed  over 
to  him  one  of  the  loaded  rifles.  A  few  minutes  had 
elapsed  when  the  Abyssinian  soldiers,  rifles  in  hand, 
came  to  the  entrance  of  the  tent  and  in  a  most  arrogant 
manner  demanded  a  sum  of  money.  Before  they  had 
time  to  point  their  rifles  at  me,  they  found  themselves 
covered  by  my  revolver  and  the  rifle  I  had  handed  to 
my  Somali.  This  answer  rather  surprised  them.  I  told 
them  that  they  must  put  down  their  rifles  or  I  might 


THE   EVILS    OF   DRUNKENNESS  6i 

shoot  thenij  so  down  went  the  rifles  upon  the  ground,  and 
the  men  were  made  to  stand  back  at  a  distance.  Their 
rifles  were  collected  and  conveyed  by  my  Somali  into 
the  tent.  Then  only  we  began  to  talk,  the  Abyssinians 
being  extremely  excited,  partly  owing,  I  think,  to  a 
considerable  amount  of  liquor  they  had  imbibed  that 
morning  at  a  drinking  place  upon  the  road. 

They  got  nothing,  of  course,  and  were  considerably 
scared  when  I  told  them  that  I  would  now  proceed  to 
smash  their  rifles.  I  gave  orders  to  that  effect.  This 
brought  them  back  to  reason,  as  a  rifle  in  Abyssinia 
is  expensive,  and  it  is  the  most  valuable  possession 
that  the  average  Abyssinian  man  has.  They  entreated 
me  to  pardon  them  and  not  carry  out  my  threat. 
Upon  obtaining  a  promise  from  them  of  future  good 
behaviour,  I  ordered  them  to  go  to  sleep  and  the 
next  morning  on  leaving  camp  I  would  hand  them 
back  their  property.  They  were  to  go  out  of  sight, 
and  not  come  near  me  till  the  moment  of  departure 
next  day,  and  to  receive  nothing  to  eat  for  twenty- 
four  hours. 

They  left  camp  deeply  humiliated,  much  to  the 
amusement  of  the  Somali,  who  took  great  delight  in 
making  cutting  remarks  at  their  expense.  As  they 
walked  away  unarmed  in  the  humblest  of  fashions,  the 
mad  camel-man,  spear  and  shield  in  hand,  followed 
them  for  some  distance,  every  now  and  then  signalling 
to  me  that  he  would  protect  me  with  his  spear.  Men 
— even  Africans — can  be  so  brave  when  there  is  no 
danger ! 

Early  the  next  morning  the  Abyssinians  returned 
to  camp  and  were  submissive.  They  said  they  were 
very  hungry,  and  I  answered  that  I  was  glad  to  hear 


62  ACROSS   WIDEST  AFRICA 

it.     When  the  camels,  mules   and  horses  were   ready, 
their  rifles,  minus  the  blocks,  were  handed  back  to  them. 

As  we  continued  along  the  road  I  was  amazed  at 
the  numbers  of  blind  people  we  met.  We  passed  the 
Nimjar  village,  and  we  at  last  arrived  at  the  escarp- 
ment to  the  west  of  us  at  an  elevation  of  5,620  feet 
above  sea  level  at  the  foot. 

This  escarpment  is  quite  impressive,  as  it  rises 
abruptly  and  almost  vertically  from  a  comparatively 
level  ground  extending  in  a  long  straight  line  from 
west-south-west  to  east-north-east.  It  makes  a  mag- 
nificent natural  barrier  for  the  Shoa  country.  One 
portion  of  this  high  escarpment  displays  at  the  top  a 
stratum  of  shiny  rock  forming  a  broad  band  all  along. 

In  the  plain  down  below,  dura  and  corn  were  cul- 
tivated, and  there  were  a  few  huts  with  conical  roofs. 
The  people  kept  a  number  of  cattle.  We  met  thousands 
of  them  going  through  a  ravine  towards  the  stream,  as 
we  approached  the  camp  of  Godoburkha,  godo  meaning 
"  at  the  bottom,"  and  hurkha  "  source,"  or  "  source  at 
the  foot  of  the  plateau."  The  camp,  which  took,  of 
course,  its  name  from  the  stream,  was  directly  at  the 
foot  of  the  gully  leading  up  to  Baltchi,  at  the  summit 
of  the  escarpment,  a  place  which  was  reached  by  a  steep 
and  rugged  trail  most  painful  for  camels. 

Picturesque  mounted  men,  with  sheep-skins  on  their 
backs,  rode  after  the  cattle,  while  many  caravans  were 
waiting,  giving  their  camels  a  rest  before  ascending  the 
steep  incline. 

The  Godoburkha  stream  came  from  the  north  by 
the  great  gully  of  Baltchi,  and  flowed  along  the  escarp- 
ment. 


63 


CHAPTER  VI. 

My  camel-men  were  anxious  to  wait  here  one  day  to 
rest  the  animals  before  going  up,  but  I  would  not  hear 
of  it,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  we  started  on  our  way 
to  the  Shoan  plateau.  Panting  and  stumbling  all  the 
time,  the  camels  struggled  up,  encouraged  by  the  yells 
of  the  camel-men.  Every  few  yards  they  stopped,  look- 
ing most  disconsolate  and  helpless.  The  camel  is  cer- 
tainly not  built  to  climb  mountains. 

We  followed  on  the  left  side  the  great  valley  in  which 
the  Godoburkha  stream  flows,  and  after  a  good  deal  of 
trouble,  for  the  loads  of  the  camels  kept  sliding  down, 
we  reached  Baltchi  village  on  the  edge  of  the  plateau, 
6,6io  feet  above  sea  level,  or  nearly  one  thousand  feet 
above  the  Godoburkha  camping  ground. 

Baltchi  is  a  typical  Abyssinian  village,  the  houses 
cylindrical  in  shape,  with  walls  of  matting  over  a  wooden 
frame  and  a  conical  thatched  roof.  There  is  only  one 
aperture  in  these  dwellings  :  the  door,  but  no  windows. 
A  stone  wall  is  to  be  found  on  the  south  side  of  the 
village,  and  from  the  edge  of  the  plateau  one  obtains, 
of  course,  a  beautiful  view  over  the  cultivated  fields 
in  the  valley  below  to  the  east.  To  the  west,  the  only 
thing  that  strikes  the  eye  is  the  trail  to  Adis-Ababa, 
with  its  ups  and  downs  over  undulating  country. 

No  sooner  had  we  arrived  than  an  old  woman  came 


64  ACROSS    WIDEST   AFRICA 

into  my  camp  with  two  large  bags  of  barley,  a  load  of 
firewood,  two  gourds,  one  of  fresh,  the  other  of  curdled 
milk,  and  one  large  jar  of  native  wine,  the  whole  of 
which  she  presented  to  me. 

''I  have  no  husband,"  said  she;  "no  father.  No 
one  to  whom  to  give  all  this.  I  only  have  this  little 
child.     So  I  give  all  to  you." 

"  Pray,  not  the  child,"  I  hastily  replied.  "But  I  will 
take  the  wine,  the  milk  and  the  barley." 

On  my  rewarding  the  lady  with  brand-new  silver 
dollars,  her  eyes  gleamed  with  joy,  and  she  expressed 
her  gratitude  by  throwing  herself  down  to  kiss  my  feet 
and  then  my  hands.  The  latter  she  kissed  first  upon 
the  knuckles,  then  under  the  palm.  Her  little  child 
was,  after  much  shaking,  made  to  imitate  the  good 
woman's  example.  The  end  of  it  all  was  that  the  infant 
was  further  persuaded  to  throw  his  arms  round  my  neck, 
and  he  kissed  me  on  both  cheeks  with  quite  unusual 
fervour.  The  child  had  a  dirty  face.  The  old  lady 
returned  to  camp  many  times  to  express  again  her 
gratitude — she  said — but  I  took  great  care  to  keep 
mother  and  baby  at  a  distance. 

There  was  a  "  grande  douane  " — to  use  my  Somali's 
expression — at  Baltchi.  The  Abyssinian  officials  in 
charge  of  this  "  douane  "  came  clothed  in  long  brown 
cloaks  to  see  me  and  were  quite  civil.  They  did  not  wish 
to  inspect  my  baggage. 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed  !  They  would  not  do  such  a  thing 
to  a  traveller  " — but  they  had  only  come  to  count  my 
numerous  loads  so  that  they  might  advise  the  next 
post  to  let  me  go  through  without  trouble. 

Counting  was  easier  said  than  done  for  them,  as  none 
of  the  three  who  called  at  my  camp  seemed  able  to  sum 


ABYSSINIAN   SUSPICIOUSNESS  65 

beyond  ten.  After  trying  repeatedly  they  eventually 
gave  it  up,  and  said  it  would  be  all  right.  They 
consumed  a  whole  tin  of  biscuits  and  a  tin  of  jam  while 
on  their  visit,  and  they  were  further  presented  with 
sundry  pencils  and  paper,  as  they  possessed  neither  in 
their  office,  with  and  on  which  to  write  the  official 
pass. 

Many  women  came  to  the  camp  in  the  evening  to  sell 
things.  One  has  to  go  to  Abyssinia  fully  to  understand 
how  plain  some  women  can  be — all  with  shaved  heads 
and  body  dressed  up  in  a  long,  loose  robe,  coarse  to  a 
degree  and  disgustingly  unwashed. 

Bargaining  in  Abyssinia  takes  time  and  gives 
endless  trouble.  The  people  are  extremely  suspicious 
and  are  always  under  the  impression  that  they  are 
being  swindled.  Well,  they  often  are.  It  would  be 
unfair  to  blame  poor,  ignorant  people — mere  barbarians 
after  all — for  not  mastering  the  difference  between 
Greek  and  Armenian  traders  and  people  of  a  different 
calling — who  are  for  them  all  white  people,  therefore  all 
scoundrels. 

That  day  was  mostly  used  by  the  Somali  in  giving 
trouble  in  camp.  I  think  they  rather  felt  the  effects 
of  being  at  a  greater  elevation,  and  with  their  nervous 
temperament  they  became  depressed  and  morose.  The 
mad  camel-man  in  particular  groaned  and  moaned  the 
whole  evening,  declaring  me  responsible  for  his  death 
and  that  of  the  camels,  which  had  not  occurred  yet,  but 
which,  he  said,  would  unavoidably  take  place  before  the 
morning. 

During   the    night    the   cold  seemed  indeed   intense 
after  the   heat   we   had  experienced   down  below.     On 
no  account  could  I  induce  the  men  to  get  out  of  their 
VOL.   I.  5 


66  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

blankets  until  the  sun  was  high  upon  the  horizon  at 
nine  o'clock  the  following  day. 

We  left  soon  after,  crossing  two  small  streams  during 
our  march,  and  going  over  two  passes,  one  7,150  feet 
high,  the  other  7,550  feet.  There  were  cultivated 
patches  of  wheat  and  barley,  but  most  of  the  country 
was  barren  and  treeless.  Over  numerous  undulations 
we  rose  still  higher  to  7,650  feet,  and  further  on,  when 
we  had  reached  an  elevation  of  7,720  feet,  we  found 
ourselves  on  a  flat  plateau,  and  we  began  to  discern 
in  the  distance  to  the  west  the  mountains  near  Adis- 
Ababa. 

We  marched  steadily  over  what  the  Americans  would 
appropriately  call  "  rolling  country."  Volcanic  rock 
showed  through,  here  and  there,  strewn  with  black, 
quadrangular  pebbles  also  of  volcanic  origin.  Passing 
through  barren  country,  but  with  fair  grazing  in  spots, 
we  arrived  at  4.30  p.m.  at  Tcheffedunza  (7,700  feet), 
where  I  pitched  my  tent  under  a  solitary  cluster  of  trees. 
There  was  a  charming  little  stream  of  clear  water.  To 
the  south-south-west  we  could  now  see  the  Tchukhala 
mountain,  or  Mount  Zougouala,  as  Marchand  calls  it, 
on  the  top  of  which  was  an  Abyssinian  church  and 
monastery. 

One  does  not  find  many  places  of  archaeological  interest 
in  this  portion  of  Abyssinia.  Probably  one  of  the  most 
interesting  in  the  Galla  country  is  the  underground 
monastery  of  Goba,  of  which  my  friend.  Monsieur  Franz 
de  Zeltner,  who  visited  it  while  taking  part  in  the 
"  Bourg  de  Bozas  "  expedition,  has  given  an  interesting 
description. 

He  tells  us  that  in  the  valley  of  the  Mitcha  stream 
what  the  natives  call  a  church,  but  what  is  in  reality  a 


THE   GOBA   MONASTERY  67 

monastery,  is  to  be  found  in  the  shape  of  a  grotto  dug 
in  a  cHff  some  sixty  feet  high.  This  excavation  is  only 
an  annexe  to  an  upper  building,  to  reach  which  it  is 
necessary  to  haul  oneself  through  a  narrow  and  almost 
vertical  gallery  some  nine  or  ten  feet  long,  in  which 
rough  steps  have  been  cut.  By  this  primitive  stair- 
case one  enters  a  suite  of  five  or  six  chambers. 

The  first,  twenty-one  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide, 
and  nine  feet  high,  is  lighted  by  a  sort  of  garret  window 
overlooking  the  valley.  Besides  the  entrance  above 
described,  there  are  two  other  small  holes  permitting 
a  descent  into  the  adjoining  chamber.  A  natural  pillar 
of  rock  supports  the  ceiling,  and  near  one  of  the  corners, 
opposite  the  entrance,  is  found  a  rectangular  trench 
covered  with  wood,  which  the  Abyssinians  say  is  a 
tomb. 

By  a  gap  six  feet  high  one  gets  into  the  second  chamber. 
Evident  signs  can  be  seen  upon  the  rock  that  a  door  or 
a  gate  was  placed  at  this  entrance.  In  the  middle 
is  a  grave  similar  to  the  one  in  the  first  chamber,  and  in 
one  of  the  angles  a  niche  has  been  made  in  the  wall. 
In  front  of  the  window  the  ground  has  been  raised  about 
three  feet,  forming  a  platform  in  which  two  holes  have 
been  bored,  one  leading  out  of,  the  other  into,  the 
fourth  chamber.  In  the  wall  opposite  the  window  a 
tunnel,  fifteen  feet  long  and  only  one  and  a  half  feet 
high,  leads  to  a  long  passage,  on  the  side  of  which  is  a 
small  semicircular  recess. 

The  third  chamber,  which  is  probably  the  most 
interesting  of  all,  has  a  strong,  square  pillar  in  the 
centre,  hollow  in  its  interior,  and  a  window  on  each 
face.  A  circular  seat  has  been  carved  in  the  rock  in- 
side this  pillar,  so  that  eight  people  can  be  accommodated 
VOL.   I.  S* 


68  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

inside  this  stone  tube,  the  interior  diameter  of  which 
is  about  four  and  a  half  feet.  This  arrangement, 
says  M.  de  Zeltner,  is  common  in  the  convents  of  the 
Thebaid,  where  it  has  the  name  of  Cathedra.  The 
chamber  itself  has  no  windows,  as  it  is  far  inside 
the  rock. 

In  the  fourth  chamber,  lighted  by  a  large  window, 
is  a  square  trench  and  a  seat  carved  in  the  rock.  Facing 
the  window  is  a  low  door  ornamented  by  a  rudimentary 
moulding,  the  only  attempt  at  ornamentation  noticeable 
in  the  entire  monastery. 

A  passage,  thirteen  and  a  half  feet  long  and  one 
and  a  half  feet  high,  leads  to  the  fifth  chamber,  where 
two  niches  and  a  seat  have  been  dug  into  the  rock. 
M.  de  Zeltner  says  that  this  monument  is  still  in  perfect 
condition,  and  has  in  no  way  been  damaged  by  atmo- 
spherical changes  nor  by  the  destructive  hand  of 
man. 

A  small  laj^er  of  sand  covered  the  floors  and  some 
fragments  of  bone  and  stone  were  found,  but  un- 
fortunately M.  de  Zeltner  was  unable  to  dig  in  the 
trenches  for  fear  of  offending  the  Abyssinians  in  charge 
of  the  place. 

The  grotto  next  to  the  monastery  is  a  natural  cavity 
of  no  interest  whatever.  An  isolated  rock,  with  a 
hemispherical  excavation  in  the  centre,  is  said  by  the 
natives  to  have  been  used  by  the  monks  as  a  mortar. 
A  tunnel  of  considerable  length  is  said  to  exist  at  the 
end  of  this  grotto,  but  the  aperture  is  blocked  by  stones. 

In  the  Mitcha  valley,  near  the  grotto,  are  also  several 
small  cells  cut  into  the  cliff  at  various  heights,  and  in 
which  live  Abyssinian  priests  in  charge  of  the  subter- 
ranean church  as  well  as  of  an  inevitable  miraculous 


EXCAVATIONS  69 

spring,  such  as  one  finds  near  most  places  of  sanctity 
in  any  country. 

According  to  M.  de  Zeltner  this  must  have  been  a 
Christian  monastery,  identical  with  those  of  the 
Thebaid.  The  Galla  maintain  that  it  was  a  Christian 
monastery,  and  upon  Mount  Fasila,  dominating  the 
Mitcha  valley,  they  show  the  tomb — a  simple  circle  of 
stone — of  King  Atie-Fasil,  who,  they  profess,  was  a 
Christian.  The  identity  of  this  king  has  never  been 
properly  established,  and  whether  he  was  a  Christian 
Galla  king  or  not  is  uncertain. 

Several  of  the  tribes  in  Abyssinia  have  been  known 
to  dig  grottoes  in  the  soft  sandstone  of  cliffs,  making 
habitations  for  themselves,  and  it  is  possible  that  in  this 
locality,  so  suitable  for  excavations  of  the  kind,  the 
example  had  been  imitated  by  the  monks  who  made 
this  monastery.  Its  Egyptian  appearance,  so  far  away 
from  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  has  not  quite  clearly  been 
explained  yet,  unless  the  theory  brought  back  by  Raffray 
is  correct,  that  the  Negus  Lalibela  in  the  twelfth  century 
imported  an  Egyptian  who  constructed  some  mono- 
lithic churches,  which  were  copied  afterwards  all  over 
the  country.  M.  de  Zeltner,  who  has  studied  the  ques- 
tion more  than  any  one  else,  seems  to  be  strongly  inclined 
to  adopt  this  opinion. 

On  January  26th  we  went  up  another  higher  step 
of  the  plateau,  now  8,050  feet.  By  Mount  Herrer,  which 
rises  high  above  the  table-land  on  our  left  (the  south), 
we  ascended  still  higher  to  8,150  feet.  Except  for  a 
short  dry  grass  everything  was  burnt  up.  Mount  Herrer 
throws  out  many  spurs  in  the  shape  of  hill  ranges.  They 
radiate  especially  towards  the  north,  and  we  had  to  get 
over   them   on   our   march.     The   highest   on   our   trail 


70  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

was  8,150  feet.  From  the  last  of  these,  towards  noon, 
I  obtained  my  first  view  of  Adis- Ababa  to  the  north-east 
of  the  Manangesha  mountain  (not  to  be  confounded  with 
Mount  Magaghes). 

We  then  descended  abruptly,  almost  precipitously, 
from  8,050  feet  into  the  basin  and  gorge  of  the  Akaki,  or 
Aghaghi,  a  river  flowing  from  north  to  south  at  a  level 
of  7,610  feet,  and  on  the  other  side  we  quickly  rose 
again  to  8,480  feet  upon  another  flat  plateau.  It  was, 
in  fact,  the  continuation  of  the  one  we  had  so  far 
followed,  divided  merely  by  the  deep  cut  in  which  the 
river  flowed.  This  further  portion  of  the  plateau  was 
quite  level,  with  black,  volcanic,  gravelly  soil. 

We  had  now  an  interesting  horizon  line  cut  up  by 
mountains  all  round.  The  Tchukala  mountain  to  the 
north  was  most  prominent  of  all.  My  men  told  me 
that  a  lake  was  to  be  found  on  the  top  of  this  mountain, 
on  the  shore  of  which  were  an  Abyssinian  church  and 
monastery.  Many  hermits  and  monks  were  said  to  live 
in  grottoes  and  caves  in  the  mountain  side.  Monks 
from  this  locality  were  frequently  called  before  the 
Emperor  to  predict  his  future.  They  wore  a  burnous 
of  hide  and  a  skin  cap. 

In  the  Godjam  and  Tigre  countries — one  north-west, 
the  other  due  north  of  Adis-Ababa — were  many  monks 
and  hermits. 

The  road  from  Adis-Ababa  to  Mombassa  passed  at 
the  foot  of  the  Tchukala. 

The  Dalatti  mountains  stood  in  the  foreground.  Then 
between  the  Dalatti  and  the  Furi  mountain  in  the  far 
distance  emerged,  in  a  faint  blue,  the  Soddo  Range, 
inhabited  on  the  north-east  side  by  Galla,  and  on  the 
south-west  by  Guraghi.     The  Yekka  Mehel  and  Yekka 


I 

i 


ADIS-ABABA  ^\ 

Abbo  were  two  low  mounts  to  the  north  of  the  Abyssinian 
capital. 

As  one  got  nearer  the  cit}^  one  saw  prominent  on 
a  height  various  white  buildings  and  factory  chimneys 
which,  I  was  assured,  made  part  of  the  Imperial  Palace. 
Here  and  there  upon  hills  one  saw  groups  of  scattered 
houses. 

Adis-Ababa  cannot  be  called  a  city  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  word.  There  are  thousands  of  white  tents 
about,  but  few  permanent  houses,  and  it  really  impresses 
one  more  as  a  big  encampment  than  a  town.  On 
the  spurs  of  the  hills  to  the  right  as  one  approaches  the 
place,  one  sees  the  modest  buildings  of  the  British 
Legation,  then  a  grander  one  where  the  Russian  Minister 
lives. 

Up  a  steep  road  I  made  my  way  to  the  hotel  in  the 
centre  of  the  town.  The  accommodation  consisted  of 
one  solitary  room,  from  which  the  landlord,  a  Frenchman, 
and  his  wife  turned  out  every  time  a  traveller  arrived. 
They  were  polite  and  the  cooking  was  unmistakably 
good. 

Of  late  years  Menelik  has  been  bent  on  making  good 
roads  in  the  capital,  and  bridges  over  the  many  streams 
which  intersect  the  town,  and  w^hich  are  impassable 
during  the  rainy  season.  I  noticed,  on  going  up  the 
main  road  past  the  palace,  that  nobody  walked  on  the 
road  itself,  but  all  crowded  into  the  gutter  at  the  side. 
Not  knowing  the  laws  of  the  country,  I  rode  in  the  middle 
of  the  road  upon  my  horse,  much  to  the  amazement  of 
the  passing  crowd,  many  of  whom  made  remarks  which 
I  did  not  understand.  It  seems  that  when  the  roads  are 
made  and  well-metalled  according  to  European  ways, 
nobody  is  permitted  to  tread  on  them,  so  that  they  may 


T2 


ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 


be  kept  in  good  condition  for  the  time  when  the  rainy 
season  arrives. 

Since  the  arrival  of  two  traction  engines  in  the  capital, 
Menelik,  followed  by  many  Abyssinian  grandees,  spends 
most  of  his  time  walking  behind  these  engines  while  they 
are  at  work  crushing  stones  upon  the  road.  Sometimes 
Menelik  himself  gets  on  the  platform  of  the  engine  and 
takes  the  keenest  interest  in  its  working,  including  the 
stoking.  Thousands  of  soldiers  and  a  great  portion  of 
the  population  form  a  procession  behind  the  Imperial 
chauffeur. 

Strangely  enough,  when,  owing  to  its  weight,  the  engine 
sinks  into  the  new  road,  prepared  in  sections  by  men 
under  various  chiefs,  Menelik,  with  true  wisdom,  does 
not  blame  the  foreign-made  engine,  but  takes  the  work- 
men to  task  and  punishes  them  severely  for  not  making 
the  metalling  of  the  road  sufficiently  hard  to  bear  the 
pressure. 

Menelik  certainly  gets  a  deal  of  amusement  out  of 
the  traction  engines.  He  uses  them  for  all  sorts  of  pur- 
poses besides  road-making.  I  have  seen  the  Emperor 
sawing  wood  with  a  circular  saw  driven  by  one  of  these 
engines  upon  the  racecourse  where  a  stand  was  being 
erected.  When  he  did  not  actually  work,  hours  were 
spent  by  the  Emperor  watching  the  saw  at  work,  and 
he  did  not  restrain  his  admiration  at  the  evenness  of 
the  divided  planks. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  I  received  a  letter  from 
Sir  John  Harrington,  our  Minister  in  Abyssinia,  asking 
me  to  stay  at  the  Legation  during  the  time  I  should 
be  in  Adis-Ababa.  After  a  day  or  two  I  left  the  single- 
roomed  "  Hotel  Terrers "  for  the  more  comfortable 
quarters  at  the  Legation. 


A   PICTURESQUE   CROWD  73 

A  sad  and  curious  incident  happened  the  moment  I 
arrived.  The  Russian  Minister  sent  over  a  letter  to  Sir 
John,  asking  him  to  lunch,  and  an  hour  or  so  later  a 
Cossack  came  over  to  the  Legation  bringing  a  message 
that  the  Minister  had  suddenly  died  of  apoplexy,  news 
which  caused  a  great  gloom  in  the  European  community, 
as  well  as  among  the  Abyssinians. 

Menelik,  preceded  and  followed  by  thousands  of 
warriors,  hastened  in  great  state  to  the  Russian  Lega- 
tion. The  rabble  of  soldiers  in  their  white  robes — a 
most  impressive  and  formidable  rabble — ran  before 
him  in  no  order  whatever,  carrying  the  rifles  in  any 
fashion  to  suit  personal  convenience.  Then  a  swarm  of 
horsemen  in  brown  burnouses  came  up  the  hillside 
by  the  British  Agency,  quite  a  picturesque  sight. 
Here  and  there  upon  the  white  clothes  of  the  soldiers 
were  touches  of  red,  which  added  brilliancy  to  the 
striking  scene. 

The  crowd  approached  with  the  characteristic  whizz 
of  Abyssinian  mobs,  quite  loud  as  it  drew  near,  all  talk- 
ing and  dragging  their  feet  upon  the  ground.  The  chiefs, 
mounted  upon  their  horses,  were  noticeable  above  the 
sea  of  heads — ^most  of  them  with  their  hair  tightly 
bandaged  in  a  white  shash,  others  sporting  cheap  grey 
or  black  felt  hats.  All  the  infantrymen,  thousands  of 
them,  carried  Gras  rifles,  but  the  chiefs  only  had  revolver- 
belts.  It  was  not  easy  to  recognize  the  Emperor  among 
the  horsemen  unless  his  face  were  familiar  to  one,  as  he 
was  garbed  like  other  people,  and  like  some  of  the  other 
chiefs,  he  wore  a  cheap,  large-brimmed  felt  hat,  grey 
with  a  green  lining  under  the  brim.  It  was  only  after 
one  had  identified  the  Imperial  figure  in  a  black  silk 
burnous  that   one   had   time   to   cast    a   glance   at  the 


74  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

magnificent  mule  he  rode  with  its  gorgeous  harness  and 
gold  decorations. 

On  coming  out  of  the  Legation,  where  he  was  shown 
the  body  of  the  Russian  Minister  lying  in  state,  Menelik 
seemed  greatly  upset. 

I  had  selected  a  fine  point  of  vantage  upon  a  wall 
from  which  to  photograph  the  Emperor  as  he  came  out, 
and  I  was  amused  at  the  way  in  which  the  African 
potentate  actually  drew  up  his  mule  for  a  moment  in 
order  to  be  snapshotted.  With  him  was  Mr.  Ilg,  his 
Conseiller  d'Etat. 

On  January  30th,  the  funeral  of  the  Minister  took 
place,  and  Sir  John  Harrington  and  I,  with  an  Indian 
escort,  duly  attended  it. 

The  body  was  lying  in  state  with  wreaths  of  flowers 
from  members  of  the  community  deposited  upon  the 
coffin,  and  numerous  candles  burning  everywhere  around. 
Cossacks  in  tunics  of  the  crudest  red  and  blue  formed 
a  line  at  the  head,  the  corporal  reading  and  chanting 
prayers  in  a  hoarse  voice. 

Outside  the  house  a  choir  of  Abyssinian  priests 
chanted  plaintively,  waving  to  and  fro  censers  of  silver 
and  brass.  A  youthful  priest  who  wore  a  gilt  mitre 
over  a  silk  kerchief  upon  his  head,  was  the  centre  figure 
of  this  picturesque  group.  Above  him  was  held  a  gay 
sunshade  of  Parisian  pink  satinette  and  silver  lace. 
Another  priest  was  sheltered  under  a  sunshade  in  sections 
of  green,  yellow,  red  and  white.  Others  were  protected 
from  the  rays  of  the  sun  by  pallid  green,  others  by  multi- 
coloured sunshades. 

The  more  important  figure  had  donned  a  long  cloak 
of  deep  red  and  green  brocade,  with  a  shoulder  cape  of 
lighter-coloured  tints,  and  a  white  turban  wound  round 


A  SAD   INCIDENT  75 

his  head ;  while  several  of  the  younger  priests  were 
garbed  in  similar  robes  but  of  black  silk.  Many  of 
them  carried  crosses  of  silver  or  brass  upon  long 
staves. 

Menelik  and  the  Ahuna  had  sent  these  men  over  as  a 
compliment^  and  I  think  they  rather  felt  a  slight  at  not 
being  admitted  inside  the  house. 

When  the  prayers  were  finished  in  the  lying-in-state 
room^  we  all  marched  after  the  huge  coffin  up  the  hill- 
side to  a  favourite  spot  in  the  Legation  garden,  where 
the  Minister,  in  his  lifetime,  used  to  spend  many  hours 
of  the  day.  After  more  prayers  and  firing  of  rifles  the 
body  was  laid  to  rest. 


7^ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Abyssinia,  not  unlike  other  countries  placed  in  similar 
conditions,  like  Persia  or  Afghanistan,  owes  its  present 
independence  mainly  to  the  jealousy  of  the  envious 
powers  surrounding  her.  Nevertheless,  Abyssinia  seems 
to  have  now  reached  a  stage  when  serious  development 
is  expected  of  her  or  division  of  her  land  among  her 
grasping  European  friends  must  follow.  With  the 
French  and  the  English  on  the  Somali  coast,  the  Italians 
in  the  Danakil  country  and  Anglo-Egyptians  in  the 
Sudan  pressing  her  on  every  side,  it  is  not  possible 
for  Abyssinia  to  remain  much  longer  in  her  present 
semi-barbarous  condition. 

While  Menelik  lives,  his  power  is  so  great  that  it 
carries  everything  before  it.  His  word  is  law  and  is 
everywhere  obeyed  in  a  manner  quite  amazing  to  Euro- 
peans. Menelik  is  a  kind  of  god  to  the  Abyssinians 
themselves,  and  if  not  exactly  worshipped  by  subjected 
non-Abyssinian  chiefs  in  the  country,  like  the  Galla 
and  others,  is  regarded  with  wholesome  fear  by  them. 

The  Abyssinians  owe,  I  think,  their  constant  victories 
in  colonial  wars  rather  to  their  fame  than  to  their  pre- 
sent fighting  qualities  or  their  skill  and  courage  in 
warfare.  The  conquered  and  neighbouring  tribes  are 
in  positive  terror  of  the  Abyssinians  and  of  Menelik 
himself,  more  than  of  the  Abyssinians  in  general,  I  think. 


MENELIK  77 

At  the  death  of  Menehk,  and  with  the  knowledge 
which  the  natives  are  beginning  to  acquire  from 
foreigners  visiting  the  country,  perhaps  matters  will 
change.  The  tribes  will  know  their  own  strength  and 
the  actual  weakness  of  the  Abyssinians.  Perhaps  then 
it  will  not  be  so  easy  to  hold  the  country  together. 

One  cannot  help  admiring  Emperor  Menelik  person- 
ally. He  possesses  an  abnormal  amount  of  sound  sense. 
He  is  as  just  and  fair  to  his  countrymen  as  is  possible  to 
an  emperor ;  he  is  generous  enough  with  what  he 
possesses,  and  tries  at  all  times  to  do  all  that  is  right 
and  proper.  He  is  shrewd  and  has  a  more  calculating 
brain  than  many  a  foreign  emissary  has  given  him  credit 
for.  His  simplicity  and  natural  charm  of  manner  are 
quite  delightful.  Perhaps  were  Menelik  a  younger 
man,  and  were  he  persuaded  to  take  a  journey  to  Europe, 
a  great  many  sensible  reforms — and  possibly  some  not 
quite  so  sensible — might  follow. 

As  matters  are  now,  Menelik  does  all  in  his  power  to 
improve  his  country  up  to  the  limit  of  his  knowledge, 
but  his  knowledge  would  perhaps  still  further  benefit 
by  making  a  careful  examination  and  selection  of  Euro- 
pean ways  of  administrative  government. 

His  country  has  now  only  reached  a  stage  of  semi- 
civilization,  at  which  it  cannot  possibly  remain.  The 
empire  might  still  hold  its  ow^n  were  it  established  on  a 
sound  basis  for  natives  and  foreigners  alike,  with  a 
proper  government  and  administration,  and,  above  all, 
with  some  stability  of  laws. 

Abyssinian  administration  to-day,  quite  of  a  pa- 
triarchal kind,  is  good  in  a  way,  and  when  properly 
applied  is,  on  the  whole,  just.  The  principle  is  that  you 
must  give  an  eye  for  an  eye,  one  tooth  for  one  toothy 


78  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

and  so  on.  The  injured  person  has  frequently  the 
dehghtful  privilege  of  himself  enforcing  the  punish- 
ment upon  the  offender.  For  instance,  an  assassin  is 
handed  over  to  the  parents  of  a  murdered  man,  who  can 
do  with  him  what  they  please.  There  is  charm  in  that 
undoubtedly,  but  abuses  must  be  frequent. 

Justice  may  not  always  be  law,  and  we  all  know  that 
law  is  not  always  justice,  but  with  civilization  coming 
in,  with  intercourse  getting  more  frequent  between 
natives  and  Europeans  of  all  nations,  some  sort  of  a 
code  of  wTitten  laws  must  be  made,  as  the  present  state 
of  affairs  leaves  the  litigants  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the 
temporary  fancies  of  the  official  called  upon  as  an  umpire 
in  the  various  quarrels. 

Menelik  well  knows  this,  but  he  thinks  it  wise  to 
leave  the  country  under  present  conditions — personally, 
I  think  they  suit  the  natives  better  than  a  regular  code 
— which  do  away  with  the  ruinous  lawyers  and  pleaders 
and  lengthy  and  expensive  trials  that  only  bring  dis- 
content and  ruin  to  a  great  proportion  of  the  population. 
All  the  more  serious  cases  to  be  tried  go  before  Menelik, 
and  although  he  endeavours  to  be  just,  perhaps  a  touch 
of  indigestion  or  a  fit  of  bad  temper,  or  a  natural  sym- 
pathy or  antipathy  for  one  litigant  or  the  other  un- 
doubtedly influences  his  decision.  Innocent  men  meet 
their  death  where  criminals,  if  clever  enough,  are  set 
at  liberty. 

Six  men  were  shot  one  day  in  Adis-Ababa  while  I 
was  there,  and  an  interesting  incident  happened  show- 
ing Menelik' s  good  nature.  One  of  the  men  who  had 
been  sentenced  to  death  was  discovered  by  some  passers- 
by  some  hours  later  to  be  still  alive.  He  was  taken  to 
the   Russian   Hospital,    and   Menelik,   on   being   asked. 


POLITICS   UNDER   DIFFICULTY  79 

said  that  God  had  protected  that  man  and  he  would  .now 
be  pardoned. 

Everything  in  Adis-Ababa  is  referred  to  the  Emperor. 
It  is  quite  amazing  what  an  amount  of  mental  work 
Menelik  must  go  through  daily.  While  attending  to 
most  important  political  affairs  matters  of  the  most 
trivial  character  are  brought  to  him  for  assent. 

This  is  practically  what  happens  every  minute  of 
the  day  at  the  palace :  Menelik  with  his  head  bandaged 
in  a  white  shash,  as  it  is  called^  a  sort  of  silk  kerchief, 
and  with  a  cheap  French  felt  hat  with  a  large  brim,  far 
back  upon  his  skull,  is  pondering  with  some  Foreign 
Minister  over  some  political  problem  of  great  importance 
to  his  country,  let  us  say,  the  projected  railway  between 
the  sea  and  Adis-Ababa.  The  Emperor  is  deeply  ab- 
sorbed in  thought. 

Enters  a  servant,  who  whispers  in  the  Emperor's  ear, 
regardless  of  the  presence  of  the  foreign  representative 
of  a  great  European  country  : 

"Your  Majesty,  the  carpenter  wants  some  more  nails 
to  mend  the  verandah." 

"  Here  are  the  keys.  Give  him  twenty  nails,"  says 
the  Emperor.    "  If  he  needs  more,  come  again  to  tell  me." 

The  Emperor  is  again  in  deep  thought.  Intruder 
number  two  comes  up  and  whispers  that  a  mule  has 
escaped  from  the  palace. 

The  Emperor  jumps  down  from  his  throne — a  high 
packing-case  covered  with  Oriental  carpets — slips  quickly 
into  the  shoes  which  he  had  discarded,  and  hastens  to 
his  telescope,  scanning  the  country  all  round  with  it, 
in  order  to  see  whether  the  missing  animal  can  be 
detected  upon  the  hills  near  Adis-Ababa. 

No  signs  being  apparent  of  the  Emperor's  wish  to 


8o  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

resume  the  conversation  about  the  railway — the  escaped 
mule  being  much  more  important  to  him  than  all  the 
railways  in  the  world — the  Foreign  Minister  vainly 
attempts  to  drive  the  Emperor  again  to  his  throne. 
Attention  is  called  to  the  interrupted  discussion.  The 
Emperor  on  his  side  endeavours  to  induce  the  Minister 
to  come  and  look  for  the  mule. 

The  subject  of  the  railway  is  again  tactfully  ap- 
proached, and  the  conversation,  thinks  the  Minister, 
is  proceeding  satisfactorily,  when  a  fresh  disturber 
rushes  in  to  inform  His  Majesty  that  the  machinery  in 
the  mint  adjoining  the  palace  has  stopped  ;  so  down 
goes  the  Emperor  to  see  what  has  gone  wrong,  and 
cannot  be  removed  from  the  workshop  until  the 
machinery  is  set  going  again.  He  then  calls  for  pieces  of 
lump  silver  and  gold,  and  with  his  own  hands  amuses 
himself  in  striking  fresh  coins,  which  he  then  places  in 
his  pocket. 

By  this  time  the  Foreign  Minister  is  getting  anxious 
about  the  railway,  and  would  like  to  argue  some  of  the 
points  of  interest  which  might  concern  both  his  country 
and  Abyssinia  ;  but  Menelik  will  convey  his  illustrious 
visitor  instead  to  examine  a  patent  rifle  or  pistol  which 
has  just  been  sent  to  him  as  a  present,  or  else  will  press 
him  to  listen  to  such  sweet  songs  as  "  Honey,  my  honey," 
on  a  talking  machine,  which  has  been  sent  over  to 
him.  This  over,  the  Emperor  will  enter  into  a  lucid 
and  graphic  description  of  how  he  succeeded  in  hauling 
up  a  beam  which  should  support  the  roof  of  a  new  church 
he  is  building  here  or  there  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Adis-Ababa. 

Anything,  in  fact,  distracts  him  when  he  is  made  to 
talk  about  affairs  of  State. 


"THANK   YOU"    UNKNOWN  8i 

While  I  was  in  Adis-Ababa  the  question  of  the  rail- 
way greatly  interested  the  Ministers  of  the  leading 
European  countries.  It  was  not  therefore  surprising 
to  me  to  find  that  the  various  representatives  were 
getting  old  and  worn-looking.  Nothing  could  be  more 
trying,  I  should  think,  than  talking  politics  with  the 
Abyssinian  Emperor. 

Menelik,  as  a  man,  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing, thoughtful  men  I  have  ever  met,  a  fact  one  appre- 
ciates a  great  deal  when  one  remembers  that  his  people 
— I  am  speaking  of  the  Amharas  or  pure  Abyssinians — 
are  possibly  as  mean,  ungrateful  and  abject  as  it  is 
possible  for  men  to  be.  There  is  with  them  no  real 
paternal,  maternal,  fraternal,  marital,  or  any  other  kind 
of  love,  and  all  is  suspicion  and  treachery  among  them. 

There  is  no  "Thank  you"  in  Abyssinia  for  anything, 
no  matter  how  big  a  service  has  been  rendered.  In  fact, 
I  do  not  think  the  expression  "  Thank  you  "  exists  in 
the  Abyssinian  language.     If  it  does,  it  is  never  used. 

There  is  no  finality  about  the  word  of  an  Abyssinian, 
nor  about  his  deeds,  nor  anything  he  may  undertake. 
Eshi,  which  many  people  take  to  be  "  very  well,"  or 
"  very  good,"  but  which  really  means  "  something 
like,"  or  "  possibly,"  is  their  invariable  answer  to  any- 
thing you  tell  them.  It  only  means  conditional  assent, 
the  right  to  alter  their  minds  being  always  reserved  to 
themselves. 

For  absolute  and  unscrupulous  lying,  I  never  found 
people  who  could  beat  the  Abyssinians.  They  will 
swerve  from  one  statement  to  another  diametrically 
opposed  without  flinching,  and  for  barefaced  impudence 
it  is  impossible  to  go  further  than  these  people.  One 
moment  they  will  swear  one  thing  by  all  that  is  most 
VOL.   I.  6 


82  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

sacred  to  them^  and  the  next  moment,  for  no  reason 
whatever,  they  will  swear  exactly  the  reverse.  It  is, 
indeed,  most  difficult  to  know  where  you  are  with  them. 
The  more  one  knows  them,  the  more  contempt  one  has 
for  them. 

Great  devastators  of  the  country,  it  is  in  their  nature 
to  destroy  everything.  Improvident,  living  at  the 
expense  of  the  people  whom  they  raid,  robbers  by  nature, 
these  people  have  succeeded  in  gaining  a  reputation  for 
bravery  largely  undeserved,  and  obtained  only  by  the 
fact  that  they  possessed  quantities  of  excellent  imported 
firearms,  where  others  merely  fought  with  spears  and 
arrows. 

They  themselves  maintain  that  in  their  war  with 
Italy  they  only  gained  a  victory  because  God  knew 
the  Italian  cause  to  be  a  false  one,  and  wished  to  punish 
the  invaders  for  trying  to  seize  a  country  over  which 
they  had  no  right.  The  Abyssinians  fully  recognize 
that  it  was  not  the  fighting  qualities  of  their  people 
that  gained  so  great  a  victory  over  the  white  soldiers. 
They  say  that  had  the  Italians  wished  they  could  any  day 
and  at  any  moment  have  easily  beaten  the  Abyssinians. 
This,  of  course,  emphasizes  the  shocking  mismanage- 
ment, the  inexperience  of  the  Italians  in  colonial  war- 
fare, and  their  absolute  lack  of  topographical  know- 
ledge of  the  country  they  were  traversing.  We  will 
not  further  refer  to  the  political  ambition  of  Cabinet 
Ministers  who  were  cabling  to  General  Barattieri  that  he 
must  win  a  battle  on  a  certain  day  in  order  to  carry  an 
election  at  home,  which  no  doubt  procured  or  hastened 
the  Italians  so  terrible  a  disaster. 

All  this,  mind  you,  Abyssinians  know  well,  for 
despicable  as  they  may  be,  one  must  recognize  in  them 


THE   STENCH   OF  WHITE   PEOPLE  83 

a   certain   natural   reasoning   power   which   can   gauge 
matters  accurately  on  certain  occasions. 

Many  of  the  better  Abyssinians  have  told  me  that 
this  war  with  Italy  has  been  a  ruin  not  only  to  Italy, 
but  to  the  Abyssinians  themselves,  who  will  some  day 
surely  pay  for  the  conceit  they  have  now  acquired. 
Barring  some  of  the  people  in  power,  it  is  difficult  to 
make  the  public  at  large  differentiate  between  nations 
of  Europe.  For  them  beating  one  white  nation  means 
beating  the  whole  world  of  white  people. 

So,  especially  in  Adis-Ababa,  one  has  to  stand  a 
good  deal  of  insult  and  rudeness  from  the  public.  I  do 
not  think  that  I  have  gone  once  alone  through  the 
market-place  without  overhearing  remarks  I  did  not 
particularly  like.  Of  course,  when  going  about  with  an 
escort,  as  one  generally  does,  the  people  are  more  guarded, 
and  one  does  not  hear  these  things.  It  is  only  when  alone 
that  the  natives  are  more  or  less  offensive. 

For  instance,  when  they  see  a  European  go  by,  they 
generally  hasten  to  stop  up  the  mouth  and  nose,  in  order, 
they  say,  not  to  be  suffocated  by  the  fetid,  corpse-like 
stench  of  white  people. 

To  be  just  and  fair,  white  people  do  certainly  exude 
an  odour,  quite  strong,  which  may  be  offensive  to  the 
natives  of  Africa,  just  the  same  as  the  effluvium  of  the 
people  of  Africa — much  more  powerful  than  ours — is 
disagreeable  to  us.  It  is  also  beyond  doubt  that  the  smell 
of  white  people  does  remind  one  forcibly  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  corpses.  This  I  have  noticed  myself  after 
having  been  abroad  for  long  periods  in  the  open  air  in 
countries  far  away  from  Europe.  Upon  my  return  to 
civilized  towns  one  of  the  things  that  strikes  me  most 
potently  is  the  unpleasant,  rancid  odour  of  most  people. 
VOL.   I.  6* 


84  ACROSS   WIDEST  AFRICA 

I  think  this  comes  a  great  deal  of  stifling  the  body  in 
musty  clothes,  by  living  in  stuffy  rooms,  and  from  the 
terrible  condition  of  people's  digestions — as  well  as  of 
their  blood — in  big  European  centres. 

In  America,  where  the  people  live  even  more  un- 
naturally than  we  do  in  England,  this  peculiar  odour  is 
much  accentuated  to  anybody  whose  respiratory  organs 
and  sense  of  smell  are  in  excellent  condition.  There 
are  unfortunately  few  Europeans,  indeed,  and  fewer 
Americans,  who  can  claim  such  a  privilege,  owing  to  the 
catarrh  complaints  which  are  so  general  in  people  leading 
a  civilized  existence. 

The  people  of  the  country  smell  strongly,  but  less  bad 
than  the  people  of  the  towns,  whereas  the  people  of  dry 
countries  are  less  offensive  than  those  of  wet  countries. 
It  takes  some  little  time  before  one  gets  accustomed  to 
the  peculiar  natural  odour  of  the  people  about,  and  it 
is  only  then  that  one  does  not  notice  it  any  more. 


B5 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

I  HAD  several  audiences  with  Emperor  Menelik.     He  was 
always  extremely  kind. 

Abyssinia  is  a  land  where  time  is  not  money.  One 
has  to  wait  days  and  weeks  for  everything  one  wants. 
It  is  always  at  the  last  moment  that  everything  happens, 
and  then  always  with  a  great  rush.  Being  quite  ready 
to  abandon  Adis-Ababa,  my  entire  caravan  of  mules 
had  been  for  some  time  under  orders  to  start  at  any 
moment.  I  was  delayed  no  less  than  fifteen  days 
in  order  to  wait  for  the  Emperor's  return  to  the  capital. 
I  was  to  do  a  sketch  of  him  to  be  elaborated  into  a  larger 
picture  which  Sir  John  Harrington  wished  to  present 
to  His  Majesty  King  Edward. 

Every  minute  the  Emperor  was  expected  back.  I 
was  told  that  he  was  busy  building  another  church 
upon  some  mountain — he  is  always  building  churches — 
and  that  he  was  now  occupied  watching  the  construction 
of  the  roof.  At  last,  when  I  was  one  day  pleasantly 
disporting  myself  calling  on  various  friends,  a  mounted 
horseman  was  despatched  all  over  the  town  to  tell  me 
that  the  Emperor  had  returned  and  wished  to  see  me 
at  4  p.m. 

The  messenger  found  me  some  two  miles  from  the 
Legation  at  3  p.m.  Up  and  down  various  hills  I  galloped 
back  to  the  Legation  and  got  into   my  best   frockcoat. 


86  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Sir  John  Harrington  was  waiting  somewhat  impatiently. 
We  got  upon  horses  and  raced  to  the  palace,  where  we 
were  first  ushered  into  a  sort  of  open-air  reception  hall. 
Then,  without  waiting  any  time,  we  were  shown  into  the 
presence  of  the  Emperor,  who  sat  himself  cross-legged 
between  two  red  pillows  upon  a  couch  in  the  doorway 
of  the  highest  building  in  the  palace  grounds,  A  pair 
of  shoes  had  been  discarded  on  the  floor. 

In  a  black  silk  coat,  a  white  band  round  his  fore- 
head and  his  favourite  grey  felt  hat.  His  Majesty  smiled 
good-naturedly  and  extended  his  right  hand — not  par- 
ticularly clean — in  the  most  jovial  of  manners.  It 
seemed  the  handshake  of  an  honest  man. 

Menelik  certainly  had  the  best-natured  face,  not  the 
handsomest,  of  any  Abyssinian  I  had  seen.  There 
was  something  leonine  about  his  countenance,  although 
his  eyes,  very  prominent  and  bloodshot,  had  more  the 
suavity  of  bovines.  He  was  badly  pock-marked.  He 
possessed  a  capricious  turned-up  nose,  narrow  at  the 
nostrils,  and  prominent  lips,  the  lower  rather  too  droop- 
ing to  suggest  strong  will.  His  Imperial  Majesty's 
skin  was  as  black  as  coal  and  rough  ;  but  although  the 
face  was  altogether  rugged,  it  was  absolutely  devoid 
of  vulgarity.  Intelligence  and  sharpness  of  wits  showed 
clearly  in  his  expression. 

I  was  interested  in  his  conversation  with  Sir  John, 
and  the  good-natured,  friendly  chaff  between  the  two, 
especially  when  I  suggested  complimentary  remarks 
upon  the  Abyssinian  climate,  which  brought  a  grateful 
smile  from  Menelik  and  threats  of  murder  from  His 
Britannic  Majesty's  Envoy  Extraordinary. 

Sir  John  maintained  that  the  climate  of  Adis- Ababa 
was   homicidal,  and  to  prove  this  he   said  that  all    the 


IMPERIAL   SARCASM  87 

doors  of  the  Legation  had  become  so  warped  owing 
to  the  alternate  heat  and  cold,  dry  and  damp,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  close  them.  Upon  which  Menelik, 
with  really  humorous  sarcasm  and  with  an  explosion 
of  laughter,  very  wittily  answered  that  the  climate 
would  not  affect  good  wood,  but  would  certainly  affect 
bad  wood.  Also,  he  exclaimed,  doors  were  of  abso- 
lutely no  use  in  Abyssinia,  where  everybody  was  honest. 
It  did  not  matter  at  all  if  they  could  not  be  closed.  They 
might,  of  course,  be  of  the  greatest  use  in  countries  where 
such  good  people  as  the  Europeans  lived. 

We  had  a  most  charming  and  amusing  conversation 
with  a  deal  of  repartee  on  all  sides,  and  it  was  delightful 
to  see  on  what  excellent  terms  of  real,  sound  friend- 
ship our  Minister  was  with  the  Emperor. 

In  a  more  serious  moment,  Menelik  was  asking  our 
representative's  advice  on  some  important  matters,  and 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  hear  the  Emperor  say  words  to  this 
effect  to  Sir  John  : 

"  I  like  to  ask  your  advice,  because  I  know  you  always 
tell  me  the  truth,  and  you  have  always  given  me  good 
counsel  for  myself  and  for  my  country.  I  can  trust  you 
in  every  way." 

Menelik  was  extremely  jovial  and  polite  to  me,  un- 
doubtedly because  of  Sir  John's  introduction,  and  also, 
I  think,  perhaps,  because  I  assured  the  Emperor  that  I 
wished  nothing  from  him.  I  wanted  no  concessions,  no 
decorations  ;  nor  did  I  come  to  buy  or  sell  anything. 
It  must  have  been  rather  a  relief  for  Menelik,  as  the 
majority  of  foreigners  who  visit  him  worry  him  con- 
siderably, trying  to  obtain  something  or  other. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  next  morning  I  should  go 
9,nd  call  again,  and  he  would  give  me  a  sitting  for  the 


88  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

portrait.  He  would  then  put  on  his  regal  robes  for  me 
and  a  huge  gold,  jewelled  crown,  a  sort  of  gigantic 
mitre. 

"Oh,  I  do  so  hate  putting  it  on/'  said  the  Emperor 
jokingly.  "It  is  so  heavy  and  it  hurts  my  head.  I 
much  prefer  my  felt  hat." 

"  Can  you  paint  my  portrait  in  fifteen  minutes/' 
said  Menelik  to  me,  "  and  can  I  wear  my  crown  and  cloak 
only  for  one  minute,  as  the  cloak  is  hot  and  the  crown 
is  heavy  ?  And  can  I  talk  to  Sir  John  while  you  are 
painting  me  ?  " 

When  the  crown  and  cloak  were  produced,  I  was  really 
sorry  for  the  Emperor,  and  there  and  then  agreed  to 
his  terms.  Then  I  was  sorry  for  myself,  as,  indeed,  it 
meant  painting  under  difficulty.  I  would  try,  anyhow, 
and  see  what  I  could  do.  The  Emperor  promised  to 
let  us  know  the  next  morning  at  what  time  he  would  sit. 

Having  been  kept  up  till  4  a.m.  in  a  deeply  interesting 
conversation  with  Sir  John  at  the  Legation — Sir  John's 
reputation  for  keeping  people  up  all  night  with  interest- 
ing conversation  being  well  known  among  friends  who 
have  visited  him — I  was  roused  from  a  heavy  slumber 
at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  was  informed  that 
Menelik  would  sit  for  his  likeness  at  7.30  sharp. 

Well,  if  there  is  a  time  of  the  day,  any  day,  that  I 
never  can  do  anything,  it  is  just  at  7.30  a.m.  I  am 
generally  too  sleepy  to  be  awake  and  too  awake  to  be 
asleep,  or,  in  other  words,  in  that  unhappy  intermediate 
state  when  thinking — much  more  drawing — is  quite  out 
of  the  question.  I  did  not  bless  Menehk.  A  lightning 
shave  ;  an  extra  lightning  cold  douche  ;  no  time  to  dry 
myself ;  a  jump  into  some  sort  of  clothes  ;  up  on  the 
horse  ready  at  the  door  and  a  race  to  the  palace,  about 


THE   TRIALS   OF   AN    EMPEROR  89 

one  mile  off,  and  then,  in  a  soaking  perspiration,  I  was 
immediately  dragged  before  the  Emperor. 

We  had  kept  the  Emperor  waiting  half  an  hour,  but 
Menelik  was  gracious  in  his  manner,  and  again  expounded 
what  a  nuisance  it  was  to  have  to  dress  up  in  his  official 
robe. 

When  it  came  to  the  crown,  Menelik  exclaimed,  child- 
like, "  Feel  the  weight  of  it,"  and  he  handed  the  regal 
emblem  first  to  Sir  John  and  then  to  me,  all  the  time 
laughing  heartily.  "  The  last  time  I  wore  it,  it  gave  me 
a  terrible  headache  for  several  days.  That  is  what  comes 
of  being  an  Emperor  !  "  he  soliloquized. 

In  fact,  when  the  crown  was  placed  upon  his  head, 
Menelik  made  an  excruciating  grimace,  as  if  it  caused 
him  intense  pain. 

"  Mind  3^ou,  only  for  one  minute  by  the  watch,"  he 
ejaculated  as  he  was  half  smothered  under  the  heavy 
golden  jewellery. 

I  took  two  lightning  sketches  of  him  and  then  hastened 
to  take  several  photographic  negatives,  in  order  to  have 
a  record  of  the  detail,  as  so  many  and  complicated  were 
the  jewels  upon  his  headgear  and  so  uncommonly 
elaborate  the  ornamentations  upon  his  yellow  robe — not 
to  speak  of  the  European  decorations  of  all  sorts  cover- 
ing his  entire  chest — that  it  would  have  been  quite  im- 
possible for  any  man  to  draw  all  that  detail,  which  has 
to  be  reproduced  with  accuracy  in  a  picture,  in  so 
short   a   time. 

Harrington,  who  is  more  of  a  racing  man  than  a 
painter,  was  actually  timing  me,  watch  in  hand,  and  I 
was  so  hustled — there  is  nothing  more  fatal  when  you 
are  drawing  than  being  hustled — that  when  I  came 
to  take  the  photographs,  I  took  several  on  the  same 


90  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

plate.  Having  discovered  my  mistake,  I  took  others, 
but  Menelik's  head  was  shaking  so  violently  with  the 
effort  of  supporting  the  imperial  emblem  that  they, 
too,  were  not  successful.  The  photographs  were  taken 
inside  a  room  where  a  long  exposure  was  necessary. 

I  took  a  number  of  other  negatives  without  the  crown, 
and  these  were  slightly  better. 

Within  the  fifteen  minutes,  the  Emperor  was  through 
his  sitting,  and  he  seemed  so  delighted  with  the  gold- 
point  sketches  I  did  of  him  that  he  proposed  to  sit  again 
for  me  whenever  I  wished.  The  sketch-book  was 
passed  round  to  some  of  the  Abyssinian  officials  who 
were  present,  and  was  duly  returned  to  me  after  many 
exclamations  of  admiration  and  covered  with  finger 
marks. 

Sir  John  Harrington  approached  Menelik  that  same 
morning  on  so  serious  a  matter  as  forming  a  reasonable 
and  stable  system  of  government  and  establishing  a 
Council  of  State.  He  had  for  the  purpose  drawn  up 
a  lucid  circular,  copies  of  which  he  had  distributed  among 
the  leading  chiefs  of  Menelik's  court.  Menelik  pondered 
deeply. 

"  Oh,  look,  look!  "  said  the  Emperor,  jumping  to  his 
feet,  his  eyes  fixed  upon  a  distant  mountain  where 
thousands  of  white  tents  had  been  pitched. 

Anything  is  ever  more  important  to  him  than  serious 
matters  of  State. 

"  Do  you  see,"  he  continued.  "  Here  they  come, 
thousands  of  my  soldiers.  I  expect  7^980  people  to 
lunch  with  me  to-day," 

He  strolled  upon  the  wide  verandah,  and  could  not 
repress  his  excitement  on  seeing  the  huge  mass  of  white 
figures    quickly    descending    the    road    leading    to    the 


^Fenelik  watching  7,980  guests  arrive  for  lunch. 


7,98o   GUESTS  91 

palace.  He  gazed  upon  them  with  his  telescope  with 
exclamations  of  delight,  as  he  recognized  one  chief  or 
the  other  in  the  crowd.  He  asked  us  to  remain  with  him 
to  see  his  guests  arrive. 

He  also  most  kindly  invited  me  to  lunch  with  him. 
He  said  it  might  be  an  impressive  sight.  Meanwhile, 
as  it  would  take  some  time  for  the  guests  to  come, 
he  inquired  whether  I  should  care  to  go  over  the  palace 
grounds.  He  possessed  some  magnificent  lions  in  a  cage 
and  a  lot  of  rat-catching  blackbirds,  and  other  animals 
which  were  loose  in  the  palace  gardens. 

I  inspected  the  old  circular  Court  of  Justice  with  a 
tower  and  clock  (a  final  court),  in  the  door  of  which 
Menelik  sits  to  judge  cases,  while  the  great  Ras  sit  in 
the  windows  at  the  side.  A  little  further,  another 
building  was  in  course  of  construction  entirely  of  masonry, 
also  circular  in  shape,  with  green  doors  for  the  Ras  to 
take  their  places  and  a  red  door  for  the  Emperor.  In 
front  was  a  space  for  the  public. 

Between  the  old  and  the  new  court  was  the  fagade 
of  the  great  reception  hall,  a  building  of  great  size, 
showing  in  its  decoration  strong  Indian  characteristics. 
It  was  constructed  by  Indian  workmen.  The  older 
audience  hall  was  a  typical  Abyssinian  building. 

After  that  I  went  to  see  the  arrival  at  the  palace  of 
the  thousands  of  soldiers  who  were  to  be  the  Emperor's 
guests.  There  were  guards  at  the  gate  with  sticks 
in  hand  in  order  to  keep  out  people  who  had  not  been 
invited.  These  attendants  were  said  to  possess  wonder- 
ful skill  in  recognizing  people  who  endeavoured  to  obtain 
admission  to  the  palace  and  have  a  free  meal  at  Menelik's 
expense,  and  upon  these  deceivers  they  used  their  sticks 
freely — so    freely  that  the  sticks  had  frequently  to  be 


92  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

renewed.     Bunches  of  them  were  near  by  where  a  fresh 
supply  could  instantly  be  obtained. 

A  picturesque  group  of  chiefs — early  arrivals — 
squatted  under  the  shade  of  trees.  They  were  wrapped 
up  in  white  cloaks,  none  of  them  over-clean  ;  in  fact, 
most  were  absolutely  ragged  and  dirty.  The  court 
was  in  mourning,  and  mourning  in  Abyssinia  is  observed 
by  putting  on  unclean  and  shabby  clothes. 

At  about  ten  o'clock  a  messenger  came  saying  that 
Menelik  wished  me  to  go  to  lunch,  and  I  was  ushered 
in  the  politest  of  fashions  into  the  great  hall.  It  was 
not  unlike  a  huge  railway  station  in  course  of  con- 
struction, with  a  double  row  of  cantilever  supports  for 
the  roof  lavishly  coated  with  blue  and  vermilion  enamel- 
paint  of  the  crudest  tints.  The  interior  of  the  hall 
was  more  notable  for  the  ornamentations  it  did  not 
possess  than  for  those  which  were  there  and  which  were 
certainly  not  an  attraction  to  the  eye. 

A  large  portion  at  one  end  of  the  hall  was  screened 
off  by  a  cotton  curtain,  through  which  one  could  dis- 
tinguish the  burning  lights  of  two  candelabra.  These 
lights,  burning  in  the  daytime,  were  placed  there  in 
order  to  follow  an  ancient  custom,  when  Abyssinian 
houses  had  no  windows  and  artificial  lights  were  re- 
quired. So  •  upon  European  candelabra  of  dubious 
artistic  beauty  cheap  European  candles  were  set  alight. 

As  the  curtain  was  raised  for  me  to  enter  the  Emperor's 
enclosure,  Menelik,  who  sat  most  nobly  under  a  baldaquin 
of  red  cloth,  on  a  raised  throne  of  Oriental  carpets  and 
gold  embroidered  cloth,  bowed  graciously,  and  begged 
me  to  come  and  sit  at  a  small  table  which  he  had  placed 
by  his  side  in  the  place  of  honour.  A  gilded  chair  was 
at  once  brought  for  me  to  sit  upon. 


THE  EMPEROR'S   DOUBLE  93 

Round  me,  seated  upon  the  floor,  were  many  important 
chiefs,  such  as  Ras-Tassama,  the  powerful  prince  of 
Western  Abyssinia,  Dejazmatch  Lelesaged,  Dejazmatch 
Damise,  Dejazmatch  Balow,  son  of  the  chief  of  Guja, 
and  Dejazmatch  Wabe,  all  chiefs  who  had  come  in  that 
day  under  the  supreme  command  of  Ras-Tassama. 
Behind  me,  when  I  turned  round,  I  perceived  the  head 
priests  of  the  Church,  the  high  judges  and  many  of  the 
leading  men  of  Adis-Ababa. 

Two  or  three  prominent  foreigners  were  also  present 
that  day,  but  they  were  made  to  sit  at  low  native  tables, 
upon  which  was  served  Abyssinian  bread  and  some 
native  dishes. 

Menelik  seemed  much  concerned  about  the  special 
lunch  in  European  fashion,  which  he  told  me  he  had  had 
particularly  prepared  for  me.  Various  officials  were  de- 
spatched at  intervals  to  find  out  how  the  cook  was 
getting  on  with  it. 

"Here  it  comes,"  exclaimed  the  Emperor,  whose 
face  beamed  all  over,  and  with  extended  hands  he 
made  a  sign  to  the  attendant  to  lay  the  dishes  upon 
my  table. 

Behold,  the  lunch  had  indeed  arrived  !  I  was  much 
overcome  by  noticing  who  were  the  people  waiting  upon 
me.  One  of  them  was  one  of  the  three  men  who,  in 
warfare,  impersonates  the  Emperor,  parading  about 
in  similar  clothes  under  a  red  umbrella,  in  order 
to  deceive  the  enemy  and  to  be  shot  at  instead  of  his 
regal  double.  The  other  men  were  also  high  officials, 
such  as  the  chief  of  the  Emperor's  Forestry  Depart- 
ment. All  waited  upon  me  with  the  utmost  care  and 
thoughtfulness.  Half  a  dozen  eggs  were  laid  upon 
my  plate  to  begin  with.     Then  Abyssinian  cake,  so  hot 


94  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

with  pepper  and  spices  that  it  gave  me  a  violent  cough 
when  I  tried  a  mouthful. 

"  Do  not  eat  that  if  you  don't  like  it,"  said  Menelik, 
quite  perplexed  when  my  cough  would  not  stop  and 
nearly  choked  me. 

Two  large  cutlets  were  next  deposited  on  my  table 
and  three  huge  pieces  of  steak  in  the  best  English  style, 
but  not  size.  By  their  side  (by  way  of  comparison,  I 
suppose)  were  three  more  pieces  of  steak  in  Abyssinian 
style,  with  a  great  many  incisions  upon  them,  so  that 
the  heat  might  penetrate  inside  in  the  course  of  cook- 
ing. A  dish  with  a  mountain  of  rice  also  towered  before 
me. 

Menelik  was  all  the  while  turning  round  in  the  kindest 
way  possible  pressing  me  to  eat  some  of  this  and  some 
of  that,  saying  that  it  was  all  cooked  for  me.  I  ate 
what  I  could  to  please  him,  but  the  Emperor  insisted 
I  must  eat  more.  All  my  excuses  that  my  appetite 
was  now  fully  satisfied,  that  I  was  in  delicate  health  and 
could  not  partake  of  more  food,  that  my  poor  skin — 
never  too  elastic — had  already  reached  its  highest  state 
of  tension  ....  all  was  of  no  avail,  and  Menelik 
signalled  to  the  Forestry  man  and  to  his  "  warfare 
double  "  to  pile  upon  my  plate  more  chunks  of  meat  and 
hillocks  of  rice. 

I  was  getting  quite  alarmed.  Menelik  said  I  must  eat 
more.  If  I  did  not  eat,  it  must  be  because  I  did  not  care 
for  his  food  and  he  would  punish  his  cook.  So,  in  order 
to  prove  to  him  that  this  was  not  the  case,  and  with  a 
failing  heart,  I  again  endeavoured  to  demolish  a  second 
and  third  mountain  of  food  upon  my  plate. 

"The  Emperor  thinks  you  do  not  like  Abyssinian 
bread,"  said  the  Forestry  man,  laying  before  me  half  a 


^.<^' 


THE   EMPEROR'S    HOSPITALITY  95 

dozen  huge,  pancake-like  half-baked  native  breads  each 
about  three  feet  in  diameter. 

"Oh,  yes;  yes  I  do,"  I  mechanically  remarked,  shov- 
ing into  my  mouth  a  large  piece  of  the  heavy  paste. 
The  breads  took  so  much  room — in  fact,  the  whole  table 
— as  they  were  spread  flat,  that  all  the  plates,  forks  and 
knives  had  now  to  rest  upon  them. 

Were  this  not  enough,  Menelik,  who  was  certainly  the 
quintessence  of  thoughtfulness  as  a  host,  immediately 
ordered  loaves  of  European  bread  to  be  brought  up. 

In  the  way  of  drinks,  not  only  was  every  spare  inch 
of  space  over  the  breads — the  table  could  not  be  per- 
ceived any  longer — occupied  by  bottles,  but  bottles  with 
all  kinds  of  labels  were  standing  upon  the  floor  all  round 
me.  Abyssinian  tetch,  a  kind  of  hydromel,  native  beer, 
claret,  burgundy,  white  Rhine  wine  and  champagne 
of  an  unidentifiable  brand,  but  of  a  highly-explosive 
character,  all  were  produced,  and  out  of  each  I — 
practically  a  teetotaller — had  to  drink  and  tell  the 
Emperor  what  I  thought  of  it.  Well,  I  thought  a  great 
deal  more  than  I  could  say.  That  was  one  of  those 
occasions  when  even  an  honest  man  had  to  tell  big 
stories — that  is  to  say,  if  he  possessed  a  palate.  Poor 
Menelik  is  terribly  taken  in  in  matters  of  foreign  wines 
by  merchants  who  supply  him  with  all  kinds  of  filthy 
rubbish  in  bottles  with  high-sounding  labels.  It  some- 
what pleased  Menelik  that  I  preferred  the  tetch — the 
native  drink,  by  far  the  least  poisonous  of  the  various 
liquids  which  he  at  much  expense  placed  before  me. 

The  Emperor  took  his  own  lunch  at  the  same  time, 
and  before  him  were  laid  various  Abyssinian  dishes, 
similar  to  those  eaten  by  his  leading  guests  seated  within 
the  curtained  enclosure. 


96  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

The  Abyssinians  were  squatting  upon  the  floor.  Each 
had  a  circular  basket  before  him  containing  several 
huge  breads,  like  those  which  had  been  served  to  me, 
and  some  sauce.  A  small  bottle  of  tetch  was  given  to  each 
man  and  constantly  renewed  when  empty. 

At  last,  when  the  Emperor  had  finished  eating,  the 
curtain  was  drawn.  Before  me  was  one  of  the  most 
impressive  sights  I  have  ever  witnessed.  The  huge 
gates  at  the  further  end  of  the  hall  were  thrown  open 
and  a  flood  of  sunlight  was  projected  upon  a  stream 
of  white  figures  entering  the  building  in  a  dignified 
and  orderly  manner,  each  going  to  their  respective  seats 
along  low  tables  close  together  occupying  the  entire 
hall.  Each  table  was  covered  with  five  or  six  layers  of 
flat  breads,  the  top  layer  being  sprinkled  copiously  with 
red  sauce  from  large  buckets  which  servants  conveyed 
to  and  fro.  Tabasco  is  mildly  hot  as  compared  with 
this  red  sauce. 

At  a  top  table  near  the  platform  on  which  was  the 
throne  were  seated  the  older  sub-chiefs  and  officers. 
At  the  further  tables  were  the  soldiers.  At  the  four 
tables  on  the  left  sat  the  oflicers'  servants  and 
followers. 

No  one  paid  obeisance  to  the  Emperor  on  entering, 
as  all  seemed  to  look  upon  this  feast  as  a  right.  In  fact, 
a  similar  feast  was  given  by  Menelik  every  Sunday  to 
some  or  other  of  his  people. 

All  the  men  entered  and  sat  themselves  down,  proceed- 
ing at  once  to  make  a  hearty  meal.  Hundreds  of  huge 
pieces  of  raw  meat  were  passed  round  by  attendants,  and 
each  guest  cut  a  chunk  with  his  knife  and  ate  it,  tearing 
at  the  raw  meat  with  his  teeth.  Tall,  enameUed  iron 
tumblers  of  tetch  were  given  to  the  soldiers. 


A    MOUNTAIN   OF   BREAD  97 

One  of  the  typical  sights  of  this  banquet  was  a  huge 
mountain  of  bread  upon  a  central  table,  the  mountain 
being  eight  feet  high,  fourteen  feet  long,  and  four  feet 
wide,  some  448  cubic  feet  of  bread.  This  was  besides 
counting  the  thick  layers  already  laid  upon  the  tables, 
which  were  fast  being  demolished  as  each  relay  of  guests 
came  in.  Large  as  the  hall  was,  it  was  not  sufficient 
to  hold  the  guests  at  one  time,  and  they  came  in  by 
instalments,  each  set  of  guests  being  expected  to  con- 
sume one  layer  of  bread. 

As  soon  as  one  lot  had  been  fed  and  departed,  the 
crumbled  top  breads  were  hastily  removed,  the  under 
layer  quickly  besprinkled  with  the  red  sauce,  the  carpets 
and  rugs  shaken  so  that  the  dust  from  the  people's  feet 
went  to  settle  down  upon  the  food  that  was  to  be  eaten 
by  the  next  lot. 

And  so  the  hours  went  by.  Swarms  of  figures  kept 
pouring  in  with  their  black  faces  and  white  cloaks,  giving 
quite  a  Biblical  appearance  to  the  scene.  They  sat 
with  their  stolid  faces  round  their  chief,  who,  in  his  turn, 
was  the  very  representation  of  one  of  the  ancient  patri- 
archs one  imagines  from  reading  the  Bible.  To  him 
these  people  paid  their  oxen  and  cows,  their  grain,  milk 
and  butter,  and  as  he  knew  no  better  way  to  get  rid  of 
his  wealth,  so  he  gave  back  to  his  people  plenty  to  eat 
and  to  drink,  to  show  the  fatherly  interest  which  he 
took  in  his  subjects. 

I  studied  Menehk  carefully.  He  really  seemed  to 
delight  in  having  his  people  around  him,  and  in  watch- 
ing them  feed  heartily  and  enjoying  themselves. 

I  asked  the  Emperor  how  many  oxen  and  sheep  had 
been  killed  that  day,  and  he  told  me  that  over  one 
hundred  and  twenty  oxen  had  been  despatched  and 
VOL.   I.  7 


98  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

several  hundred  sheep.  Each  one  of  these  feasts  costs 
Menelik  several  hundred  pounds  sterling. 

On  the  raised  platform  on  which  we  were,  many 
interesting  scenes  took  place.  Officers  with  bare  heads, 
others  with  white  turbans,  streamed  in  to  converse 
with  Menelik.  After  talking  for  a  few  moments  they 
sat  themselves  at  the  table  at  the  foot  of  the  platform. 
The  higher  officers  remained  in  jovial  conversation  with 
the  Emperor,  paying  him  compliments  and  relating 
anecdotes  which  seemed  to  delight  their  Imperial 
host. 

Each  time  the  Emperor  wanted  to  pick  his  teeth,  blow 
his  nose,  or  rearrange  the  white  shash  around  his  head, 
a  screen  was  made  by  the  attendants  around  him, 
raising  with  outstretched  arms  their  shawls  round  the 
throne,  thus  obscuring  the  Emperor  from  the  sight 
of  the  people.  It  was  considered  infra  dig.  to  let  the 
Emperor  be  seen  by  the  pubhc  in  such  earthly  pursuits. 

By  this  time  the  afternoon  had  come.  Menelik  was 
incessantly  urging  me  to  eat  and  drink  more.  I  had 
long  ago  reached  a  bursting  point,  and  I  cannot  tell 
the  suffering  I  went  through  in  order  to  please  the 
Emperor.  Every  time  I  caught  Menelik's  eye  more 
food  and  drink  were  pressed  upon  me,  and  a  constant 
stream  of  delicacies  kept  pouring  in  for  me  to  try. 

To  work  off  the  effects  of  over-eating,  I  had  several 
interesting  discussions  with  the  head  priests  and  the 
Abuna's  secretary,  with  the  Emperor's  double,  and 
the  leading  lawyer  of  Adis-Ababa,  all  men  of  great 
intelligence  and  quick  wit.  They  were  indeed  remarkable 
at  repartee.  They  never  seemed  at  fault  to  find  an 
answer.     We  had  a  thoroughly  good  time. 

It  was  not  till  4.30  p.m.  that  coffee  was  passed  to  a 


A   CURIOUS   SCENE  99 

few  of  the  principal  guests,  and  the  Emperor  got  up  to 
leave.  As  I  stood  by  his  throne,  he  bade  me  a  hearty 
good-bye,  and  while  I  thanked  him  for  his  charming 
hospitality  he  apologetically  explained  how  sorry  he 
was  my  lunch  had  been  delayed  half  an  hour — I  wished 
it  would  have  been  delayed  a  good  many  hours — as 
he  had  ordered  special  European  dishes  which  had  taken 
more  time  than  he  expected.  He  was  so  charmingly 
simple  and  frank  about  everything  that  really  one  could 
not  help  liking  him,  notwithstanding  the  intense  agony 
he  had  procured  me. 

A  curious  scene  occurred  when  I  came  out  of  the 
Grand  Hall.  Menelik's  mule  stood  beautifully  decked 
with  silver  and  gold  ornaments  upon  the  head  and 
saddle  and  round  a  huge  collar.  Near  by  lazily  rested 
in  the  easiest  of  postures  hundreds  of  soldiers  upon  the 
ground.  When  I  produced  a  camera  to  take  a  photo- 
graph, they  all  sprang  to  their  feet  and  begged  me  to 
wait.  They  buckled  their  belts,  arranged  their  clothes 
and  stood  at  attention  with  rifles  pointing  in  all  direc- 
tions. This  was  because  they  feared  if  Menelik  were 
shown  the  photograph  of  his  soldiers  in  all  sorts  of  re- 
clining positions,  instead  of  being  upon  their  feet  and  on 
guard,  he  would  certainly  punish  them  severely. 


VOL.   1. 


lOO 


CHAPTER  IX. 

One  talks  a  good  deal  about  the  civilizing  influence  of 
Christianity,  and  there  are  many  people  in  Europe 
who  imagine  that  when  a  native  becomes  a  Christian 
he  must  be  a  fine  fellow  in  every  way.  In  my  own 
experience^  I  know  that  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view, 
at  least,  if  one  wishes  to  see  natives  who  are  really  filthily 
dirty,  one  has  only  to  turn  to  Christianized  masses  of 
natives.  This  does  not  mean  that  I  have  not  once  or 
twice  seen  Christianized  individuals  who  may  have  been 
clean,  but  these  were  quite  the  exception.  To  Japan, 
China,  India,  Persia,  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  to 
Abyssinia — all  countries  where  non-Christian  natives 
indulge  a  good  deal  in  ablutions — the  above  remarks 
may  apply. 

Abyssinians  proper  belong,  as  you  know,  to  the  Copt 
religion.  What  do  we  find  ?  Whereas  the  Mussulman 
Galla,  their  conquered  countrymen,  wash  considerably, 
the  Christian  Abyssinians  themselves  only  bathe  once 
a  year  at  the  feast  of  the  Epiphany.  They  stay,  on  that 
occasion,  nearly  the  whole  night  near  a  stream,  and  at 
dawn  they  sing,  fire  guns  in  the  air,  and  then  fling  a 
cross  into  the  water.     They  all  jump  in  after  it. 

Even  the  Emperor  and  Empress  indulge  in  this  immer- 
sion on  the  Epiphany  morning,  but  this,  the  only  bath 
Abyssinians   take   in   twelve   months   (thirteen   months 


CONFESSION  loi 

according  to  their  calendar)  is  in  no  way  intended  to 
clean  themselves,  but  is  merely  a  religious  performance. 
When  in  the  water  they  wear,  in  fact,  the  shame,  or  shawl, 
over  the  shoulders,  and  the  surri,  or  trousers,  over  their 
legs. 

It  is  quite  enough  to  look  at  any  well-to-do  Abyssinian, 
male  or  female,  to  perceive  that  even  face  and  hands  are 
quite  innocent  of  soap.  Of  the  body  we  will  not  speak 
— the  seldom-changed  clothes  discharging  a  fetid  odour 
which  leaves  no  doubt  whatever  on  the  subject. 

The  only  other  bath  an  Abyssinian  takes  in  his  life- 
time is  forty  days  after  birth  in  the  case  of  a  male  and 
eighty  days  in  the  case  of  a  female,  when  during  the 
ceremony  of  baptism  they  are  plunged  into  the  water. 

The  Abyssinians  do  not  give  their  dead  much  chance 
of  coming  back  to  life  again.  When  people  die  they  are 
interred  the  same  day.  If  death  occurs  at  night,  the 
burial  takes  place  early  in  the  morning.  The  relatives  of 
the  deceased  rub  the  sides  of  their  own  foreheads  with 
a  woollen  burnous  until  the  temples  are  quite  sore, 
and  they  attach  pieces  of  cotton  wool  in  sign  of 
mourning. 

Women  on  such  occasions  cut  the  hair  short, 
clumsily,  with  scissors,  in  order  to  diminish  what  little 
attraction  they  may  possess,  and  also  to  show  their 
sorrow  for  the  death  in  the  family. 

Before  dying  a  confessor,  not  always  necessarily  but 
usually  a  priest,  is  called  in.  This  is  a  man  who  goes  by 
the  name  of  nefsabat,  and  who  is  well  posted  in  the 
secrets  of  the  confessed. 

Every  Abyssinian  must  confess  before  death,  or  his 
body  will  not  be  admitted  into  the  Church  graveyard. 
If  he  dies  unconfessed,  he  must  be  buried  outside  the 


I02  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Church  grounds.  Many  of  these  confessors  are  mere 
blackmailers,  who  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities 
offered  to  impose  upon  the  afflicted  family.  At  the 
death-bed  they  have  been  known  to  make  mercenary 
bargains  by  threats  with  the  dying  man.  When  the 
confessor  comes  out  of  the  dying  man's  room,  it  is  usually 
found  that  the  man  who  has  expired  has  bequeathed  his 
mules,  his  property,  even  the  bedclothes  and  the  very 
clothes  he  is  wearing  at  death,  to  the  confessor.  Hence 
disputes  between  the  relatives  of  deceased  and  these 
"  soul-pacifying  "  individuals  are  common.  Perhaps  it 
is  a  sensible  precaution  for  these  people  to  have  the  body 
buried  as  soon  as  life  seems  extinct. 

Although  the  Abyssinians  consider  themselves  highly 
civilized,  superstitions  are  rampant  among  them,  even 
among  the  highest  people.  Curious  methods  are  used, 
for  instance,  in  order  to  discover  the  perpetrators  of 
thefts  or  other  crimes.  A  man  called  a  lebassai — the 
title  of  a  profession  descending  from  father  to  son — is 
employed  by  chiefs  and  even  by  the  Emperor.  This 
fellow  proceeds  to  the  spot  where  the  theft  has  taken 
place,  and  with  him  go  two  slave  boys,  not  older  than 
eight  or  ten  years.  These  boys  must  know  nothing 
about  sexual  intercourse,  nor  must  they  have  ever  used 
intoxicants.  The  lebassai  gives  one  boy  a  specific 
medicine  of  his  own,  after  which  the  lad,  bound  in  a 
white  sash,  is  made  to  prostrate  himself  face  downwards, 
when  a  glass  of  milk  is  produced,  into  which  a  white 
powder  is  mixed.  Then  the  boy  is  made  to  rise ;  he  is 
by  then  in  a  dazed  condition,  whether  from  the  stuff  he 
has  swallowed  or  in  a  hypnotic  trance.  They  say  that 
the  boy  will  then  unconsciously  reproduce  all  the  move- 
ments of  the  thief  or  other  criminal  during  the  crime, 


u 


THE   LEBASSAI  103 

and  proceed  directly  to  the  spot  where  the  offender  has 
found  shelter. 

Notwithstanding  the  faith  of  the  people  in  the  accuracy 
of  the  lehassai's  medium,  all  Abyssinian  bystanders 
make  a  hasty  stampede  at  his  approach.  There  have 
been  mistakes  made  even  by  the  lehassai,  although  I  am 
told  that  many  a  real  offender  has  been  traced  in  this 
way. 

The  wa;^  it  is  done  I  think  is  this.  The  lehassai  is  a 
highly-observant  man,  who  spends  his  entire  time  in 
his  detective  work,  and  who  acts  generally  on  informa- 
tion previously  received.  For  a  consideration  he  will 
surely  spare  the  culprit  and  accuse  an  innocent  man. 
Wealthy  people  who  refuse  to  be  blackmailed  are  often 
selected  by  the  lehassai  as  culprits,  and  folks  maintain 
that  the  lehassai' s  profession  is  one  of  the  most  remunera 
five  in  Abyssinia.  His  recognized  fee  alone  amounts  to 
five  silver  thalers. 

Many  other  superstitions  prevail  among  the 
Abyssinians.  For  instance,  if  an  overladen  mule  gets 
a  sore  back,  they  say  it  is  caused,  not  by  an  ill-fitting 
saddle,  but  by  a  great  vulture — the  gihri — which,  on 
soaring  above,  has  projected  its  shadow  upon  the 
animal's  back. 

They  are  great  believers  in  the  evil  eye,  which  they 
call  metf  (eye),  or  aen  (the  Arabic  term  for  eye).  In 
magic  they  also  place  absolute  faith. 

On  St.  John's  Day  none  of  them  go  out  early  in  the 
morning,  as  they  believe  that  by  doing  so  they  might 
fall  victims  to  the  incantations  and  exorcisms  of  hidden 
enemies  who  have  the  power  on  that  day  to  inflict  punish- 
ment. The  only  way  to  counterbalance  this  evil  in- 
fluence, they  believe,  is  by  obtaining  a  grey  lamb,   a 


I04  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

jet-black  sheep,  or  a  white  or  black  fowl,  as  the  magician 
may  direct,  or,  if  the  whole  animal  would  cost  too  much, 
a  piece  of  meat  from  any  of  these  animals.  These 
offerings,  placed  on  the  road  with  some  incense  and  a 
special  stone,  are  held  sufficient  to  break  the  spell. 

Abyssinians  of  certain  classes  do  not  leave  their  sons 
alone  on  that  day,  nor  do  they  eat  in  public.  If  possible, 
they  remain  inside  the  house  the  whole  day,  as  they  fear 
that  if  bad  luck  should  come  on  St.  John's  Day  it  will  go 
on  for  the  whole  year. 

Abyssinians  are  great  believers  in  spirits  of  the  moun- 
tains and  ghosts.  They  cannot  be  persuaded  to  pass  by 
a  church  or  a  graveyard  (near  the  church)  in  the  hours 
of  the  night  for  fear  of  these  spirits.  Nor  will  they  travel 
alone  at  night,  as  they  fear  the  spirits  of  dead  people. 

Medicine  as  a  science  is  not  much  advanced  in 
Abyssinia,  but  the  people  possess  a  few  remedies  of  their 
own  which  do  no  great  harm,  if  they  do  not  do  much 
good. 

They  use  cupping  for  stopping  headaches.  Also,  they 
always  wear  round  the  neck  a  black  ribbon,  to  which  a 
small  silver  lamb  is  attached.  When  suffering  from 
headache  they  place  this  little  lamb  upon  the  forehead 
with  the  string  tied  round  the  head. 

For  fever  they  make  several  incisions  upon  the  scalp 
or  in  the  back  of  the  neck.  This  bleeding  process, 
which  I  have  seen  applied  on  several  occasions,  gives 
good  results. 

Molten  butter  is  swallowed  when  a  good  purge  is 
needed,  and  for  tapeworm,  from  which  they  nearly  all 
suffer  owing  to  the  habit  of  eating  raw  meat,  they  drink 
a  decoction  of  powdered  cossu,  which  has  been  soaked 
in  water  for  at  least  four  or  five  hours.     They  drink  this 


THE   "EVIL   EYE"  105 

early  in  the  afternoon,  and  will  see  no  one  until  the 
medicine  has  acted,  for  fear  the  "  evil  eye  "  should  stop 
its  effects. 

Many  diseases  are  put  down  to  the  "evil  eye";  and 
great  chiefs,  for  instance,  will  not  let  their  children  be 
seen  by  strangers,  even  going  so  far  as  to  change  or 
misstate  the  baptismal  names  of  their  young,  for  fear 
of  spells  being  cast  upon  them  if  their  real  origin  were 
known. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  themselves  largely  indulge 
in  superstition. 

For  fifteen  days  before  New  Year's  Day  a  number  of 
Abyssinian  priests  are  fed  only  upon  roasted  beans  and 
water,  and  are  not  allowed  to  go  out  at  all.  On  the  first 
day  of  the  year  they  are  conveyed  into  Menelik's  pre- 
sence, when  they  predict  the  events  of  the  forthcoming 
year,  and  advise  him  what  to  do.  They  say  that  Menelik 
is  greatly  guided  by  their  counsel.  The  many  churches 
which  he  builds  are  due  to  these  yearly  consultations, 
and  it  is  said  that  such  predictions  are  responsible  for 
his  having  yielded  up  to  the  priests  his  palace  of  Adis- 
Alem,  which  had  been  constructed  at  enormous  expense 
in  a  spot  formerly  a  forest.  The  priests  have  turned  it 
into  a  church. 

The  priests  I  met  in  Abyssinia  were  most  unattractive. 
Depravity  was  plainly  depicted  upon  their  features ;  their 
unctuous  manner  never  rang  true,  and  they  had  the 
conceit  of  men  who  obtain  high  positions  by  false  pre- 
tences. In  short,  I  never  had  much  liking  for  them,  but 
I  would  not  care  to  state  that  all  were  bad.  Perhaps  the 
Ahuna — the  chief  of  the  Coptic  Church  of  Abyssinia, 
who  is  ordained  by  the  Coptic  Patriarch  of  Alexandria 
in  Egypt,  and  possibly  some  of  the  high  priests  under 


io6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

him — ought  not  to  be  classed  among  the  common  herd, 
but  one  and  all,  I  believe,  show  much  tendency  towards 
intrigue.  Their  indirect  influence  in  politics  is  consider- 
able. 

The  Abuna,  like  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  has  the 
right  to  have  a  red  seat — a  kind  of  throne — as  well  as 
a  red  sunshade  over  his  head.  There  are  thousands  of 
priests  all  over  the  country,  and  in  Adis- Ababa  alone,  I 
was  told,  there  were  no  less  than  six  thousand  of  these 
religious  expounders. 

The  Abuna  can  impose  Church  taxes  at  will,  and  the 
Emperor  has  no  word  in  the  matter,  the  taxes  being  duly 
paid  by  devotees. 

One  Sunday  I  went  to  hear  the  service  in  the  Church 
of  St.  Michael,  situated  opposite  the  Imperial  Palace. 
The  building  was  simplicity  itself  inside,  with  no  idols 
nor  pictures.  The  church  was  formed  by  two  con- 
centric walls  with  spacious  windows  and  doors  in  each. 
Within  the  central  circle  sat  the  Empress  in  a  screened 
enclosure  of  gauze,  while  the  Abuna  officiated  in  the 
space  between  the  inner  and  outer  wall,  attended  by  a 
gaudily-dressed  staff  of  priests. 

The  Emperor  seldom  goes  to  this  the  swell  church  of 
Adis-Ababa,  but  attends  service  inside  the  palace 
grounds  in  a  smaller  church  called  the  Hedan  Emrath. 

The  Abyssinian  Church  is  national  and  independent, 
as  everyone  knows.  The  Abuna  is  the  resident  chief  of 
the  church.  With  only  such  variations  as  are  suitable 
to  the  locality  and  the  people,  much  the  same  doctrines 
as  those  of  the  Coptic  Church  are  taught,  except  that 
several  additional  rites  are  observed,  such  as  circumcision 
of  both  sexes,  adult  baptism  and  certain  love  orgies. 
The  Mosaic  laws  regarding  food  are  also  observed. 


"KISSING   THE   CHURCH"  107 

During  the  service  the  porch  and  wooden  lintels,  as 
well  as  the  walls  and  supports  of  the  church,  were  kissed 
with  great  fervour  by  devotees,  and  this  kissing  formed 
a  good  portion  of  the  service.  The  Abyssinians  talk 
a  good  deal  about  "  kissing  the  church,"  and  on  passing 
the  holy  places  they  always  stop  to  kiss  the  wall  or  the 
ground  near  it.  They  also  throw  stones  as  they  pass 
or  heap  them  up  in  a  cairn,  or  else  deposit  offerings  of 
strips  of  cloth  or  rope  as  they  go  by  a  church. 

In  some  Abyssinian  churches  bells  are  made  of  two 
long  pieces  of  slate  suspended  from  two  poles. 

A  good  deal  of  chanting  went  on  during  the  ceremony 
and  shaking  of  the  sistrae — the  tenatzily  as  it  is  called 
by  the  Abyssinians. 

In  front  of  St.  Michael's  Church,  for  instance,  which 
is  upon  a  well-beaten  road,  a  humble  telephone  pole 
standing  near  the  church  had  been  decorated  with  strips 
of  cotton,  and  its  base  was  quite  greasy  with  the  con- 
stant kissing  of  passers-by. 

Whether  because  of  the  evil  consciences  they  possess, 
whether  from  fear  of  the  revenge  of  the  gods  or  the 
reprisals  of  evil  spirits,  I  am  not  certain,  but  the 
Abyssinians  are  decidedly  charitable.  This  virtue,  as 
with  us,  does  not  always  come  from  a  good  heart.  Oh, 
no  ;  perhaps  penitence  is  more  responsible  for  it.  The 
poorest  people  will  give  away  sums  vastly  out  of  pro- 
portion to  their  wealth  when  anything  is  weighing  upon 
their  minds. 

I  noticed  in  the  Abyssinians  I  employed  that  after 
they  had  committed  some  misdeed  they  were  always 
charitable,  and  gave  away  nearly  all  they  possessed. 
This  surely  was  because  they  had  great  fear  of  God,  whom 
they  believed  to  be  their  protector  until  angered. 


io8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Of  course,  in  a  country  where  people  are  charitable, 
there  are  bound  to  be  a  lot  of  beggars.  Lepers  and  appal- 
ling cases  of  elephantiasis  swarm  in  Adis-Ababa.  Sores 
of  the  most  purulent  character  are  displayed  to  the 
public  with  the  utmost  gusto,  while  clouds  of  flies  feed 
peacefully  upon  these  and  then  come  and  settle  on  your 
face  as  you  go  by.  To  all  these  fellows — dozens  of  them 
near  the  churches  particularly — the  Abyssinians  give 
freely. 

The  Abyssinians  have  many  official  holidays,  but 
perhaps  the  most  important  falls  on  September  14th 
(Coptic  calendar) — the  day  of  the  Virgin,  which  is  cele- 
brated with  horse-races,  games  and  rejoicings  of  all 
kinds.  During  that  day  crimes  and  accidents  go  un- 
punished. On  the  eve  of  the  14th  everybody  must  go 
with  a  gun  on  his  shoulder  to  the  church,  and  when  the 
cross  is  taken  out  they  all  follow  it,  the  Emperor  in- 
cluded. They  then  form  a  circle  round  it,  the  Emperor 
depositing  upon  the  ground  a  wooden  stick,  all  the  others 
imitating  his  example,  until  a  high  heap  has  been  accumu- 
lated, which  is  then  set  on  fire.  Many  of  these  sticks 
have  yellow  flowers  attached  to  them — the  ababa  (a 
generic  name  for  flowers,  but  used  specifically  on  these 
occasions). 

The  following  morning  (the  14th)  they  all  return  to 
the  spot  and  make  a  cross  upon  the  forehead  with  the 
ashes  from  the  burnt  wood. 

At  Easter  the  people  fast,  and  also  on  Good  Friday,  the 
last  food  being  taken  on  Thursday,  and  the  next  not 
until  Saturday  at  about  10  a.m.  They  then  proceed 
en  masse  to  the  church  with  their  sisters  and  sweethearts, 
the  head  of  each  encircled  by  a  wreath, 

A  strange  custom  is  practised  on  New  Year's  Day. 


SAINTS    IN   PROFUSION  109 

People  go  about  with  flowers  in  their  handkerchiefs, 
which  (the  flowers)  they  present  to  their  friends  on 
meeting  them,  wishing  the  un  Kututash  at  the  same 
time.  If  one  happens  to  touch  the  flower  while  the 
words  are  pronounced,  one  is  compelled  by  custom  to 
offer  a  present  to  the  giver — something  like  our 
Philippine   trick. 

Christmas,  of  course,  does  not  exist,  the  Epiphany 
being  the  most  important  holiday  after  September  14th. 

In  a  country  where  hypocrisy  and  sanctimonious 
bigotism  are  rampant,  we  necessarily  find  saints  in  great 
force.  St.  George  is  the  most  revered  of  all,  but  for 
every  month  there  is  a  special  saint,  and  once  a  year  a 
great  holiday  is  dedicated  to  each.  In  a  way  these  saints 
are  useful,  as  they  serve  to  let  people  fix  dates  exactly, 
which  they  would  otherwise  have  difficulty  in  doing, 
owing  to  the  lack  of  printed  calendars. 

The  Abyssinian  year  has  thirteen  months,  twelve  of 
thirty  days  each,  and  a  thirteenth — the  Kogumeh,  which 
comes  after  the  end  of  August — of  only  five  days. 


no 


CHAPTER    X. 

Marriages  in  Abyssinia  are  sometimes  performed 
according  to  the  rites  of  the  Coptic  Church,  and  in 
that  case,  when  a  legal  separation  between  man  and 
wife  is  demanded,  the  property,  such  as  houses,  land, 
cattle  and  furniture,  is  divided  into  two  equal  shares. 
So,  as  Abyssinians  are  seldom  honest,  even  among 
themselves,  the  wife  never  knows  exactly  what  the  hus- 
band possesses,  nor  is  he  aware  of  the  wealth  of  his 
bride,  the  facts  being  concealed  in  case  domestic  quarrels 
should  arise, 

A  more  frequent  form  of  marriage  consists  in  swearing 
by  Menelik's  name,  the  price  to  the  husband  of  Menelik's 
oath,  the  samagna,  as  they  call  it,  being  at  the  most 
some  one  hundred  and  twenty  thalers.  This  form  of 
marriage  is  the  one  generally  preferred  by  the  better 
people,  but  the  poorer  classes  do  not  always  go  through 
any  official  ceremony  at  all,  and  marry  or  divorce  some- 
what promiscuously — as  fancy  takes  them. 

No  faithfulness  exists  in  marital  relations  among 
Abyssinians.  Owing  to  shocking  diseases  of  the  blood, 
women  are  not  prolific.  The  percentage  of  infant 
mortality  is  also  high,  so  that  the  population  is  neither 
increasing  nor  improving.  When  a  mixture  of  blood 
occurs,  as  with  Galla,  Somali,  or  with  black  tribes,  a 
slight  general  improvement  in  the  physique,  as  well  as 


MIXED   UNIONS  ill 

in  the  mental  capacities,  is  noticeable  in  the  half-breeds. 
Also,  these  mixed  unions  are  generally  more  prolific  than 
those  among  pure  Abyssinians — a  race  to  my  mind  quite 
exhausted  physically. 

Roughly  speaking — as  accurate  statistics  do  not  exist — 
I  do  not  suppose  that  there  are  more  than  a  couple  of 
millions  of  fairly  pure  descent,  and  very  few  indeed 
absolutely  pure  Abyssinian  individuals. 

The  Emperor  himself,  and  many  of  the  leading  Ras, 
show  evident  signs  of  mixed  descent,  and  it  is  the  mix- 
ture often  of  negroid  races  which  has  given  them  the 
strength  to  rise  above  the  average  individuals  and 
rule  them. 

It  is  curious  in  this  case  to  note  that  the  crossing  of 
two  weak  races  can  produce  satisfactory  results. 

The  purest  of  all  Abyssinians  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Tigre,  Godjam,  Gonda  and  Mens,  as  well  as  a  few  at 
Ankober — the  best  by  far  of  all  these  being  the  people 
of  Tigre  and  Mens.  The  latter  never  intermarry  with 
other  races,  and  until  the  death  of  King  Johannes,  the 
Tigrins,  too,  deemed  it  quite  a  dishonour  to  marry  even 
a  Shoan.  Nowadays  marriages  between  members  of  the 
two  races  are  quite  frequent. 

Owing  to  the  singular  state  of  affairs  in  Abyssinian 
marital  relations — the  men  and  their  wives  indulging  in 
promiscuous  love — it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  trace  the 
exact  parentage  of  children.  Whether  legitimate  or  not, 
all  are  taken  into  the  family  while  cordiality  lasts  in  the 
home,  and  when  separation  comes,  as  it  often  does,  the 
girls  are  taken  charge  of  by  the  mother  and  the  boys  by 
the  man,  whether  their  father  or  not. 

The  Tigrins  are  perhaps  the  noblest-minded  and  most 
generous  of  all  Abyssinians,  but  the  others  are  incredibly 


112  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

mesquin,  dishonest  and  dishonourable,  among  them- 
selves more  even  than  with  strangers.  There  is  no 
family  affection — which  is  absolutely  non-existent  with 
Abyssinians — and  the  people  are  suspicious  of  one 
another  and  treacherous.  There  is  no  word  of  honour 
with  them,  nor  the  faintest  notion  of  the  meaning  of 
truth.  An  under-thought  is  always  present  in  their 
minds,  whatever  dealings  they  may  have  with  anyone. 
Their  cruelty  to  human  beings  and  animals  is  disgusting. 

The  better  class  might  be  excepted,  but  the  men  at 
large  seem  to  have  no  ambition  in  life  except  carrying  a 
gun  upon  their  shoulders.  It  is  generally  a  good  gun, 
but  owing  to  his  diseased  vision  and  unsteady  hand,  the 
average  Abyssinian  cannot  hit  a  haystack  at  twenty 
yards.  The  rest  of  his  time  is  spent  searching  for 
vermin  (they  all  swarm  with  lice),  of  which  there  are 
legions  in  his  clothes.  There  is  a  happy  existence  for 
you! 

Abyssinians  do  not  care  for  trade,  they  detest  agricul- 
ture, they  are  too  proud  and  impatient  to  be  good 
shepherds,  and  they  are  in  too  great  terror  of  the  water 
to  be  good  boatmen  or  sailors.  They  are  first-rate 
people  for  destroying  everything,  for  pillaging,  burning 
and  rendering  barren  and  miserable  the  richest  of 
countries.  Even  upon  the  now  barren  and  arid  Shoan 
plateau,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Adis- Ababa,  over  which 
we  have  travelled,  there  were  formerly  beautiful  forests 
now  absolutely  destroyed.  The  agriculture  of  Abyssinia 
is  now  practically  in  the  hands  of  the  Galla. 

The  Goraki,  who  are  Mahommedans,  with  inclinations 
towards  tree-worship,  and  who  inhabit  between  Tulidumtu 
and  Burani  Arusi,  are  a  superior  race  as  far  as  regards 
mental  capacity.     They  have  the  entire  native  trade  in 


THE   GORAKI  113 

their  hands,  especially  in  Adis-Ababa,  where  the  market 
is  solely  run  by  them,  and  even  in  the  Imperial  palace 
everything  is  managed  by  these  people.  Fitaurari  Apti 
Gorghis  and  Dajatch  Baltcha,  for  instance,  two  of 
Menelik's  most  intelligent  chiefs  in  the  palace,  are  Goraki. 
The  telegraph  and  telephone  operators  upon  the  Dire 
Dawa — Adis- Ababa — Gori  line  are  nearly  all  Goraki. 

These  Goraki  possess  a  language  of  their  own.  They 
never  intermarry  with  other  tribes,  except  when^their 
women  have  been  raided  and  necessity  compels  them. 
Few — very  few  of  them — have  ever  accepted  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  They  bear  certain  Egyptian  characteristics 
in  their  general  appearance,  and  they  are  the  whitest  and 
best  built  men  and  women  I  saw  in  Abyssinia.  The 
Goraki  women,  with  their  large,  well-cut,  softly-magnetic 
eyes,  are  much  admired  by  the  better  class  of  Abyssinians. 
The  wives  of  most  of  the  great  chiefs  are,  in  fact,  Goraki. 

The  Goraki  are  fairly  numerous,  and  they  are 
clannish.  The  Goraki,  like  the  Jews,  are  great  at 
helping,  even  supporting,  one  another.  Anything  that 
is  done  at  all  in  Abyssinia  is  done  by  Goraki.  The  arts 
and  crafts — whatever  there  are  of  them — are  in  their 
hands.  The  Goraki  are  the  masons,  the  carpenters,  the 
traders,  the  goldsmiths  and  blacksmiths.  They  manu- 
facture the  saddles  and  harness.  They  tan  the  leather 
and  dye  it  of  a  dark  red  tint.  The  Abyssinians  also 
try  to  tan  and  dye,  but  they  do  it  badly. 

I  was  told  that  close  upon  ten  thousand  Goraki  work- 
men and  traders  are  to  be  found  in  Adis-Ababa  alone. 

It  is  astonishing  how  inartistic  the  people  of  Abys- 
sinia  are.     Only   seldom    one    sees    attempts   at  paint- 
ing or  sculpture,   and  these   attempts   are  ridiculously 
weak.     Occasionally  one  notices  a  crude  representation 
VOL.   I.  8 


114  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

of  Menelik  and  the  Empress  Taitu  under  their  red  um- 
brellas, but  that  is  about  all.  In  the  Tigre  and  Godjam, 
jewellery,  especially  in  silver,  is  manufactured,  but  is  of 
no  artistic  beauty.  The  only  ornaments  which  I  saw, 
and  which  were  quite  interesting  ethnologically,  came 
from  South-Western  Abj^ssinia,  from  the  Kaffa  country, 
and  from  the  kingdoms  of  Kulu  and  Kunta. 

There  was  a  forehead  ornament  sticking  out  hori- 
zontally, and  suggesting  an  enlarged  conventionalized 
representation  of  virility,  worn  by  the  Kaffa  men,  especi- 
ally in  battle.  It  is  a  simple  design  in  brass,  and  usually 
rests  upon  a  ring  of  ivory  fastened  to  a  cloth  band  which 
goes  tight  round  the  head.  A  brass  chain  is  attached  to 
it  with  conical  pendants  hanging  in  front  of  the  ears. 

The  women,  too,  wore  a  series  of  such  conical  em- 
blematical ornaments  of  silver — only  smaller — in  a  row 
upon  the  forehead,  with  a  superposed  chain  of  beads  and 
lozenge-shaped  additions. 

A  man  who  had  performed  a  brave  deed  in  the  Kaffa 
country  was  entitled  to  wear  an  almost  circular  ornament 
of  rats'  teeth  attached  to  a  skin.  Long  coil  bracelets, 
such  as  those  presented  by  the  Emperor  to  his  subjects 
who  have  killed  many  enemies  in  war,  are  also  found  in 
the  Kaffa  region. 

Ivory  trumpets  of  great  size,  which  produce  a  hoarse, 
loud  sound,  and  ivory  flasks  for  civet-scent  are  wonder- 
fully well  turned,  although  the  methods  of  turning  are 
extremely  rudimentary. 

Baron  Mylius,  who  had  travelled  extensively  in  the 
Kaffa,  Kulu  and  Kunta  districts,  showed  me  a  curious 
collection  of  belts  for  women  and  ivory  bracelets  with 
certain  marks,  small  perforations,  recording  the  number 
of  lovers  the  wearer  of  the  belt  had  possessed.    If  the 


SMOKING   PROHIBITED  115 

records  were  correct,  some  of  these  Kaffa  ladies  seemed 
to  have  had  a  hvely  Hfe. 

Kulu  spears,  with  elongated  heads  and  brass  rings 
attached  to  them,  were  interesting.  The  shields — about 
three  feet  in  diameter,  much  larger  than  those  of  most 
other  tribes — were  made  of  cowhide. 

Among  musical  instruments  there  were  conical  drums 
with  a  triangular  six-stringed  frame  attached  to  them, 
and  the  kaficho^  or  trumpet,  of  antelope  horn,  eight  feet 
long,  into  which  was  inserted  a  bullock  horn,  with  a 
perforation  about  six  inches  from  the  bottom.  Where 
the  horns  met  the  trumpet  was  decorated  with  a 
horse's  tail. 

Among  the  attempts  at  representing  living  objects 
the  conventionalized  wooden  dove  seen  on  the  huts  of 
Kulu  Chiefs,  and  upon  the  poles  of  their  tents  while  on 
a  journey,  was  one  of  the  few  to  be  noticed  in  the 
country. 

The  Abyssinians  proper  are  given  to  constant  orgies 
and  are  inveterate  drunkards.  It  is  amazing  what 
quantities  of  tetch  they  can  drink.  They  have  one  re- 
deeming quality  ;  they  do  not  smoke. 

There  is  a  legend  telling  how  at  one  time  the  Abyssi- 
nians had  become  so  fond  of  tobacco  that  even  priests 
chewed  in  church.  Whereupon  good  King  Johannes 
made  a  law  that  whosoever  was  seen  smoking  or  chewing 
tobacco  should  have  his  lower  jaw  amputated. 

This  is,  of  course,  a  pretty  legend,  but  there  is  a 
better  reason  for  this,  the  Abyssinian's  only  virtue. 
They  are  indeed  ready  to  take  up  almost  any  vice  which 
gives  them  pleasure,  and  if  they  do  not  smoke,  it  is 
simply  because  of  the  unpleasant,  even  disastrous,  effects 
which  smoking  has  upon  the  human  heart  at  the  high 

VOL.   I.  6* 


ii6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

elevation  of  this  plateau.  So  that  the  abstinence  from 
tobacco  is  more  a  necessity  than  a  good  quality  among 
these  people.  In  my  experience  I  have  always  noticed 
that  people  living  at  high  altitudes,  even  in  Asia,  seldom 
indulge  in  tobacco — the  Tibetans,  for  instance. 

As  we  are  about  trying  to  discover  good  qualities 
among  the  Abyssinians,  we  must  give  them  unbounded 
credit  for  another  excellent  virtue  they  really  do 
possess.  I  mean  their  absolute  contempt  for  degrading 
and  disgusting  unnatural  vices  between  individuals  of 
the  same  sex.  They  are  in  no  way  degenerate  in  that 
direction — if,  perhaps,  some  of  the  priests  are  excepted. 

The  ignorance  of  these  repulsive  priests  is  unlimited. 
Few  of  them  can  read,  fewer  still  can  write.  They  teach 
in  schools — what,  I  do  not  know  ;  perhaps  prayers. 

The  school  hours  in  the  towns  are  from  seven  till 
8.30  in  the  evening  and  from  three  to  five  in  the  morn- 
ing, as  the  children  are  needed  during  the  day  to  go 
and  fetch  wood  and  water  for  the  family  and  help  their 
mothers  in  the  duties  at  home. 

People  in  Europe  have  a  most  erroneous  idea  that  all 
countries  in  Africa  must  be  highly  picturesque,  but, 
indeed,  there  is  no  continent  in  the  world  where  any- 
thing is  more  difficult  to  find  than  is  picturesqueness 
among  the  people,  scenery  or  buildings  in  the  zone 
of  Africa  I  traversed.  There  is  no  attractive  colour  to 
speak  of  in  the  landscape,  the  light  being  too  brilliantly 
diffused  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  the  contrasts  too 
hard  and  violent  in  the  morning  and  evening.  As  for 
the  people — take  Abyssinia,  for  instance — they  are 
ungraceful  and  ugly,  and  wrapped  in  clumsy  clothing, 
usually  white  or  brown,  and  always  too  clean  to  be 
pictorial  and  too  dirty  to  be  captivatingly  clean. 


WOMEN'S   CHIEF   AMBITION  117 

The  men's  heads  are  bandaged  up  most  inartistically 
in  the  white  shash,  the  tails  long  behind  only  in  the  case 
of  the  Emperor,  but  quite  short  with  other  folks.  Above 
this  is  worn  a  felt  hat  of  the  ugliest  description.  These 
hats  come  mostly  from  Italy. 

Both  men  and  women  must  undo  this  shash  in  sign  of 
respect  before  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  and  it  is  on 
such  occasions  that  one  can  smell  to  the  full  the  rancid 
odour  of  Indian  oil  and  molten  butter  mixed  with  pinks, 
cinnamon  and  myrtle  leaves  which  the  ladies  use  for 
smearing  the  head.  This  mixture  gives  the  hair  a 
greenish  colour. 

One  cannot  accuse  Abyssinian  women  of  being  ex- 
travagant in  dress.  The  sipsipo,  or  national  costume, 
consists  in  a  mere  sacque  with  extraordinarily  long 
sleeves  pulled  up  at  the  elbow.  The  sleeves  of  the 
richer  women  are  as  much  as  three  yards  long,  and  have 
to  be  gathered  together  up  the  arm  by  slaves,  and  then 
buttoned  up  tight  at  the  wrist.  Of  similarly  ample 
dimensions  are  the  women's  trousers,  the  modante,  also 
three  yards  long,  also  pleated  up  and  buttoned  at  the 
ankle. 

The  chief  luxury  and  ambition  of  Abyssinian  women  is 
to  possess,  or  rather  to  display,  sunshades  of  any  brilliant 
colour,  except  red,  which  is  forbidden,  being  the  colour 
reserved  for  the  Emperor,  Empress,  and  Ahuna  only. 
The  sunshade  is  held  over  the  head  regardless  of  atmo- 
spheric phenomena  by  a  slave,  seldom  by  the  lady 
herself. 

In  countries  away  from  European  traders  the  natives 
make  tiny  cane  umbrellas,  undoubtedly  of  Mussulman 
origin.  They  are  common,  as  we  shall  see,  among  the 
Islamic  Galla. 


ii8 


CHAPTER  XL 

Politically  Abyssinia  has  but  a  relative  interest. 

For  the  last  few  years  we  have  heard  a  great  deal 
about  neutralization  or  the  internationalization  of  the 
Djibuti-and-Adis- Ababa  railway,  and,  I  think,  many 
people  confuse  the  neutrality  of  Abyssinia  with  the 
neutrality  of  the  railway.  It  does  not  take  a  clever  man 
to  see  that  were  the  railway  entirely  in  the  hands  of  one 
foreign  Government,  the  interests,  the  commerce  or 
ambition  of  other  countries  might  suffer.  Menelik 
himself,  from  what  I  could  understand,  was  not  partial 
to  a  scheme  which  might  endanger  his  country  con- 
siderably. The  construction  of  the  railway  to  Adis- 
Ababa  had  to  be  suspended  owing  partly  to  fear  of  a 
revolution  in  the  country,  the  masses  of  the  Abyssinian 
population  being  much  discontented — in  fact,  quite 
opposed  to  the  continuation  of  the  railway  as  far  as 
the  capital.  Were  the  railway  completed  they  felt 
they  would  soon  have  their  country  swarming  with 
foreigners,  with  whose  methods  they  can  in  no  way 
compete,  and  perhaps  the  country  would  eventually 
be  altogether  absorbed  by  one  or  more  foreign  nations. 

Menelik  himself  is  fond  of  reforms,  but  not  so 
his  people,  who  are  bigoted  and  conservative.  Any- 
thing European  brings  bad  luck  upon  the  country,  they 
believe. 


RAILWAYS   TO   COME  119 

I  understand  that  lately  an  agreement  has  been 
arrived  at  between  Great  Britain,  France  and  Italy- 
regarding  the  completion  of  the  railway,  and  naturally, 
both  from  a  political  and  commercial  point  of  view,  this 
completion  will  be  a  great  stride  towards  the  rapid 
development  of  Abyssinia.  All  the  nations  interested 
in  her  resources  will  benefit  in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree. 
Commercially,  France,  I  think,  is  bound  in  the  end 
to  come  out  first,  because  Djibuti,  on  French  territory, 
is  undoubtedly  the  key  to  Abyssinia,  being  the  nearest, 
cheapest  and  most  suitable  natural  outlet  for  Abys- 
sinian exports,  as  well  as  being  the  best  inlet  for  im- 
ports. It  possesses  all  the  practical  advantages  that 
can  be  desired.  The  Italians,  of  course,  would  like 
to  see  trade  go  towards  Massowah,  but  that  route  is 
longer,  more  difficult,  and  through  endless,  barren,  un- 
grateful country. 

A  concession  has  been  given  by  Menelik  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  British  railway  from  British  Somaliland 
to  the  Soudan.  No  route  has  been  specified.  Should 
such  a  railway  be  established,  the  competition  between 
the  French  and  British  line  might  possibly  be  con- 
siderable, as  the  British  line  might  be  made  to  traverse 
the  richest  portions  of  Southern  and  South- Western 
Abyssinia,  perhaps  crossing  the  rich  Aroussi  country 
(which  sooner  or  later  must  have  a  railway),  and  going 
into  Kaffa,  one  of  the  wealthiest  districts  of  the  Ethiopian 
Empire.  A  junction  could  eventually  be  effected  with 
the  Mombassa  railway  along  the  valley  of  the  Omo 
river  by  way  of  Lake  Rudolph,  and  the  line  could  con- 
tinue northwards  by  way  of  the  Didessa  valley  and  the 
Blue  Nile  to  Khartoum.  All  this  would,  of  course, 
come  into  the  giant  scheme  of  the  Cape-to-Cairo  Railway. 


I20  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

But  in  my  opinion,  for  commercial  purposes,  goods 
will  always  find  their  way  in  and  out  of  Abyssinia 
towards  the  east  coast,  as  the  freight  charges  via  river 
and  rail  to  Khartoum  can  never  compete  with  those 
via  French  Somaliland,  or  even  were  the  second  railway 
constructed,  via  British  Somahland.  The  distance  would 
be  much  greater ;  and  the  difficulties  of  travel,  the 
many  necessary  transhipments,  are  all  against  the 
longer  lines  of  railway  and  water  travel  combined. 
This  might  not  apply  to  goods  either  for  local  trade 
or  for  direct  export  to  the  Sudan  and  Egypt,  which 
would  travel  direct  to  the  north-west,  but  the  direct 
trade  with  those  countries  is  at  present  small,  what 
exists  being  mostly  a  transit  trade. 

Possibly  a  hne  might  also  be  constructed  from  Adis- 
Ababa  westwards  to  the  Didessa  and  Blue  Nile,  with 
a  branch  to  Gori  and  the  Baro  river,  but  this  line,  I 
think,  would  rather  further  help  to  bring  goods  from 
the  west  towards  Djibuti  which  might  otherwise  be 
compelled  to  travel  by  the  British  line  to  the  Nile 
or  British  Somaliland. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Abyssinia  is  in  great  need  of  rail- 
ways, and  whatever  effect  the  various  lines  may  have  on 
the  interests  of  foreign  nations,  they  will  certainly  be 
of  financial  advantage  to  Abyssinia  herself.  The 
country,  especially  the  west  and  south-west,  urgently 
requires  new  and  more  convenient  ways  of  communica- 
tion than  those  now  in  existence. 

There  are  few  regions  in  Africa  which  are  richer  than 
the  western  and  south-western  portions  of  Abyssinia — 
generally  known  as  the  Galla  country.  Its  picturesque 
mountain  masses  are  well  wooded  and  the  valleys  are 
regular  gardens.     The  climate  is  ideal,  water  for  irriga- 


COTTON   PLANTATIONS  121 

tion  plentiful,  and  the  soil  so  fertile  that  it  will  produce 
anything  with  the  minimum  of  labour.  Two  crops 
a  year  can  be  grown  without  cultivation.  All  that  is 
necessary  is  to  sow  the  seeds  anyhow  ;  the  land  does 
the  rest. 

Cotton  grows  well  in  the  low  lands  and  might  be 
made  a  remunerative  industry.  Experiments  in  the 
cultivation  of  cotton  have  been  made  by  Mr.  Gerolimato 
near  Errer.  His  plantation  gave  satisfactory  results. 
The  climate  of  the  Abyssinian  plateau  seems  suited 
for  the  production  of  this  valuable  textile.  At  Errer 
the  plants  reached  a  height  of  four  and  a  half  feet, 
and  on  each  stem  were  counted  as  many  as  sixty- 
two  blossoms.  A  higher  price  was  obtained  for  it 
than  the  price  fetched  by  Egyptian  cotton  of  the 
best  quality,  the  thread  being  longer  and  more  re- 
sistant. 

The  first  year,  when  the  land  was  but  imperfectly 
cultivated,  fifteen  kantar  per  fedang  were  obtained. 
The  kind  which  seemed  most  adapted  to  the  locality 
was  the  "  metafifl^''  which  is  fibrous  and  silky. 

A  hectare  of  land  (about  two  and  a  half  acres)  pro- 
duced about  thirty-iive  kantars  of  raw  cotton,  whereas 
in  Egypt  not  more  than  twenty  kantars  are  generally 
obtained  on  a  similar  area.  A  kantar  is  three  hundred 
pounds.  When  boiled,  a  kantar  of  Abyssinian  cotton 
gave  about  one  hundred  pounds  of  clean  cotton. 

Unfortunately,  when  things  were  progressing  well, 
a  swarm  of  locusts  arrived  and  razed  the  plants  to  the 
ground.  Other  regions  of  Abyssinia  would,  I  think, 
be  equally,  and  even  better,  suited  than  Errer  for  cotton 
plantations. 

Higher,    on    the    hill    slopes    in   Western  Abyssinia, 


122  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Indian  corn,  dura,  barley,  wheat,  beans,  lentils, 
potatoes,  onions,  giant  cabbages,  tobacco,  and  coffee 
of  excellent  quality  are  most  plentiful.  The  coffee 
grows  wild,  and  only  a  small  portion  of  the  berries  is 
collected,  the  rest  being  wasted,  left  rotting  upon  the 
ground  for  want  of  carriage  to  foreign  markets. 

The  western  country  is  more  thickly  populated  than 
Eastern  Abyssinia,  and  the  inhabitants,  the  Galla, 
are  peaceful,  docile  people,  easily  amenable  to  reason. 
They  would  be  good  auxiliaries  to  any  one  exploiting  the 
resources  of  the  country,  whereas  the  Abyssinians  proper, 
of  whom  there  are  but  few  in  that  portion  of  the  country, 
are  so  independent,  lazy,  uncontrollable  and  unreliable, 
that  they  are  of  no  practical  use  in  steady  commercial 
enterprises. 

The  western,  the  Galla  provinces,  are  the  exclusive 
property  of  the  Emperor,  who  farms  them  out  to  great 
Abyssinian  feudatory  chiefs,  always  reserving  to  himself 
the  right  of  deposing  them  and  replacing  them  at  will 
if  they  incur  his  displeasure. 

It  is  in  South- West  and  Western  Abyssinia,  too,  that 
whatever  mineral  wealth  exists  in  the  Empire  is  to  be 
found.  Gold  has  been  discovered  in  various  districts, 
mainly  washings  in  river  beds.  I  am  told  that  forty  to 
fifty  thousand  ounces  a  year  are  collected  with  the 
primitive  methods  at  hand.  Iron  ore,  of  course,  is 
plentiful  all  over  the  country,  and  the  natives  them- 
selves smelt  it.  Traces  of  copper  have  been  discovered, 
but  whether  in  sufficient  quantities  to  be  workable  is 
problematic.  Lignite  has  been  found  in  several  places, 
especially  in  Tegulit  and  at  Bulga  (east  of  Adis-Ababa), 
not  far  from  Baltchi. 

Then  there  are  beautiful  pasture  lands  to  the  east, 


TRADING  CARAVANS  123 

as  well  as  to  the  south-west  and  west^  where  cattle 
and  sheep,  mules  and  horses,  could  be  bred  in  abundance 
and  profitably,  if  there  were  easier  ways  of  transport 
to  distant  markets  where  the  demand  is  great.  As  it  is, 
good  animals  are  kept  in  small  numbers,  and  oxen, 
mules,  and  horses  find  a  ready  sale  in  neighbouring 
countries.  This  is  only  the  case  because  the  animals 
themselves  supply  their  own  inexpensive  transport  for 
comparatively  short  distances  ;  while  grain,  for  instance, 
which  could  be  produced  in  immense  quantities,  can  only 
be  disposed  of  locally.  The  Adda  country,  for  example, 
is  a  rich  grain  country. 

Small  trading  caravans  visit  the  smaller  markets  in 
Western  Abyssinia,  where  cotton  goods,  arms,  silk, 
hats,  ammunition  and  glass  ware  are  exchanged  for  oxen, 
sheep,  horses  and  mules.  These  animals  are  then  con- 
veyed to  bigger  centres.  Abyssinian  mules  are  excellent 
as  transport  animals  for  mountainous  countries,  and  the 
horses  are  also  quite  good. 

In  North  and  North-East  Abyssinia  we  have  a  different 
state  of  affairs.  The  complete  destruction  of  forests 
has  left  the  land  barren  and  has  had  a  deplorable  effect 
upon  the  climatic  conditions  of  that  region,  making  the 
rains  irregular  and  causing  disastrous  storms  with  violent 
winds  and  hail. 

The  Abyssinian  inhabitants,  such  as  the  Amharas, 
the  Gondari  and  the  Tigrins,  who  sparsely  populate 
the  country,  are  humble  proprietors  of  small  fields  where 
barley,  bagoussa  and  tief  are  grown  in  meagre  quantities, 
just  enough  to  suffice  the  wants  of  the  family.  No 
export  trade  worth  considering  exists. 

On  the  other  hand,  this  region  would  be  a  good  market 
for  imports,   as  the  climate,  being  severe,  the  natives 


124  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

require  articles  of  clothing,  and  their  contact  with 
civilized  people  has  already  created  in  them  several  new 
wants. 

Hats,  for  instance,  find  a  ready  sale  in  those  regions, 
as  well  as  coarse  black  woollen  materials,  with  which 
the  natives  make  their  burnouses  ;  also  red  stuff  for 
ornamental  jackets.  Parasols  are  most  popular  among 
Abyssinian  ladies,  white,  black  or  brilliantly  coloured 
(except  red),  and  come  mostly  from  India,  Germany  and 
Italy.  There  is  a  slight  sale  for  cotton  velvets,  made 
up  into  cloaks  by  the  chiefs  to  be  worn  on  solemn  occa- 
sions. These  velvets,  like  the  woollen  cloth,  are  im- 
ported chiefly  from  France,  Germany,  England  and 
Belgium,  whereas  the  cotton  materials,  which  are  most 
in  demand  in  white,  red,  yellow,  green,  and  blue  tints, 
come  almost  altogether  from  Manchester  and  America, 
passing  through  many  intermediaries  before  they  reach 
the  final  buyer. 

There  is  an  ever-increasing  demand  in  Eastern 
Abyssinia  and  Somaliland  for  good  camp  equipments 
and  supplies,  such  as  sensible  cooking  utensils,  camp 
beds,  blankets,  tents,  water-flasks,  etc.,  but  above  all 
for  tinned  provisions  of  good  quality,  which  find  a  ready 
sale  among  Europeans  residing  or  travelling  in  the 
country,  as  well  as  among  the  wealthier  Abyssinians. 
Sardines,  for  instance,  are  much  relished  by  the  natives, 
and  tons  of  them — of  the  very  poorest  kind — are 
sold. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  most  of  the  foreign  merchants 
import  merely  condemned  provisions,  which  they  pur- 
chase at  little  cost  and  sell  at  immense  profits,  or  else 
damaged  tins  from  wrecked  ships,  or  from  the  stores  of 
extinct  expeditions.    Some  of  these  tins  are  quite  deadly  ; 


SAFETY   OF   TRAVEL  125 

nor  would  it  do  to  speculate  on  the  age  of  tinned  pro- 
visions one  buys  in  Eastern  Abyssinian  centres. 

There  is  one  great  thing  in  Abyssinia — goods  travel  in 
absolute  safety,  when  not  accompanied  by  a  military 
escort.  Caravans  can  travel  from  one  end  of  the  country 
to  the  other,  provided  the  necessary  passes  are  carried, 
without  fear  of  being  robbed. 


126 


CHAPTER   XII. 

In  Adis-Ababa  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the 
Europeans  connected  with  the  development  of  the 
country,  and  prominent  among  them  stood  the  stalwart 
Monsieur  Ilg,  Councillor  of  State  to  His  Majesty  the 
Emperor. 

This  gentleman,  a  Swiss,  has  been  in  Abyssinia  for  many 
years,  and  has  played  an  important  part  in  Abyssinian 
politics,  in  a  way,  I  think,  beneficial  to  the  Abyssinians, 
as  well  as  possibly  to  himself.  One  does  not  generally 
go  to  live  in  countries  like  Abyssinia  merely  for  one's 
health.  The  Abyssinians  should  decidedly  be  grateful  to 
him  for  his  work  during  the  Italian  war,  when  he  dis- 
played much  energy  and  faithfulness  to  the  Negus. 
Possibly  his  work  may  have  clashed  at  different  times 
with  British,  or  Italian,  or  French  interests,  for  which  he 
received  unbounded  abuse  in  Europe  according  to  which 
country  happened  to  be  affected,  but  I  think  that  M.  Ilg 
always  endeavoured  to  do  what  he  honestly  believed 
best  for  Abyssinia. 

For  those  who  abuse  the  climate  of  the  Abyssinian 
plateau  and  its  evil  effects  upon  foreigners,  there  could 
be  no  better  answer  than  to  show  them  M.  Ilg  and  his 
family.  Both  parents  and  their  charming  children  were 
the  very  picture  of  health  and  vigour,  although  the 
children  had  lived  there  all  their  life  and  the  parents 


PROMINENT    FOREIGN    OFFICIALS  127 

longer  than  any  of  the  foreign  officials  I  met  in  the 
Abyssinian  capital. 

It  is  a  pity  that  M.  Ilg  does  not  write  his  memoirs,  as 
he  has  seen  Abyssinia  during  its  transition  ;  he  knows 
the  country,  the  people  and  their  language  more  inti- 
mately than  any  other  European,  and  he  has  gained  the 
affection  of  the  people  to  such  an  extent  that  the  natives 
regard  him  practically  as  one  of  themselves. 

M.  Lagarde,  the  French  Minister,  I  also  met,  a 
highly  intelligent  man.  When  I  called,  I  found  him 
in  a  semi-nautical,  semi-ofhcial  costume,  indiarubber 
top-boots  such  as  mariners  wear  in  stormy  seas,  long, 
white,  accordion-like  trousers,  tucked  with  difficulty  into 
them  ;  a  black  frockcoat,  with  rosettes,  and  in  his  hand 
a  white  helmet.  He  was  most  affable.  This  man  has 
done  good  work  for  his  country,  and  there  was  a  time 
previous  to  Sir  John  Harrington's  appointment  to 
Abyssinia  when  he  was  practically  a  second  emperor 
in  the  country.  In  the  town  he  was  in  those  days 
saluted  with  such  respect  as  is  in  general  only  com- 
manded by  the  Emperor.  His  influence  then  had  no 
bounds  at  the  Abyssinian  court. 

Things  have  changed  a  great  deal  during  the  past  few 
years.  The  Abyssinians,  like  most  Easterns,  are  capri- 
cious people.  One  day  they  cry  you  up  to  the  sky,  and 
the  next  a  rapid  descent  may  befall  you.  Instability 
of  success  is  always  to  be  expected  in  one's  relations  with 
Eastern  nations. 

When  the  interests  of  England  in  Adis-Ababa  were 
in  severe  conflict  with  those  of  France,  M.  Lagarde 
certainly  made  a  great  fight  against  Sir  John  Harrington. 
He  did  not  leave  a  stone  unturned  to  regain  his  former 
power,  but  for  some  reason  or  other  the  Emperor  placed 


128  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

more  confidence  in  Sir  John  Harrington  than  in  the 
French  envoy,  and  of  late  has  been  acting  chiefly  upon 
the  advice  of  the  British  Minister. 

I  understand  that  M.  Leon  Lagarde,  who  has  now 
returned  to  France,  is  not  to  go  back  to  Abyssinia. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  more  admired  Frenchman  in 
Abyssinia  than  Colonel  Marchand,  of  Fashoda  fame. 
He  could  do  for  France  in  that  country  what  few  other 
men  could  do,  the  prestige  he  gained  there  during  his 
journey  being  enormous. 

Major  F.  Ciccodicola,  the  Italian  Minister,  was  absent 
when  I  was  in  Adis-Ababa,  but  I  frequently  met  Don 
Livio  Gaetani,  the  first  secretary,  a  versatile  and  able 
young  diplomatist,  whose  name  is  well  known  in  con- 
nection with  the  siege  of  the  Pekin  Legation,  as  well  as 
with  a  recent  interesting  expedition  made  by  him  in 
South- Western  Abyssinia.  We  might  doubt  the  wisdom 
of  sending  a  military  ofiicer  as  Minister  to  Adis-Ababa, 
however  able  he  may  be,  after  a  disastrous  war  ;  and, 
in  fact,  the  Italian  envoy  found  himself  from  the  begin- 
ning a  good  deal  handicapped  in  diplomatic  negotia- 
tions with  the  Emperor.  Nor  do  I  personally  believe 
that  the  extravagant  presents  constantly  given  by 
Italy  to  Menelik  help  much  in  restoring  the  prestige  lost 
during  the  war.  It  might  of  course  be  said  that  a  military 
officer  was  selected  because  Sir  John  Harrington,  the 
British  Envoy,  is  also  a  colonel  in  the  army,  but 
matters  stand  somewhat  differently  as  regards  Abys- 
sinia in  our  case  and  in  that  of  Italy. 

Expense  was  certainly  not  spared  by  the  Italians  in 
order  to  impress  the  Abyssinians,  and  formidable  for- 
tress-like towers  of  solid  stone  were  built  as  a  gateway 
for  the  ItaHan  Legation,  which  stands  near  the  market 


THE   LEGATIONS  129 

square.  They  seemed  rather  out  of  keeping  with  the 
modesty  of  the  buildings  in  the  enclosure.  The 
Abyssinians  were  somewhat  amused  at  seeing  these 
fortifications  put  up  on  one  side  of  the  enclosure,  whereas 
a  galvanized  wire — not  even  barbed — was  deemed  suffi- 
cient to  keep  people  out  on  every  other  side. 

The  Russian  Legation  buildings  were  outwardly  the 
most  imposing,  but  perhaps  when  the  new  buildings  of 
our  Legation  are  finished  they  will  surpass  in  beauty 
those  of  our  Slay  neighbours. 

So  far,  the  low  native  conical  roofs  and  cylindrical 
walls  of  the  British  Legation  appear  outwardly  more  like 
a  florid  growth  of  mushrooms  than  the  residence  of 
His  Britannic  Majesty's  envoy  extraordinary;  but  the 
buildings  inside  are  extremely  comfortable  and  well 
furnished. 

From  the  summit  of  the  hill  on  which  the  Legation 
stands  one  commands  a  fine  view  of  Adis-Ababa — a  lot 
of  huts  in  patches,  like  so  many  villages  scattered  upon 
various  hill  summits,  and  the  Kabana  stream,  one  of 
several  intersecting  Adis-Ababa.  It  was  in  this  stream 
that,  returning  from  a  party,  a  secretary  of  the  Russian 
Legation  was  carried  away  by  the  current  and  drowned, 
so  that  getting  about  the  Abyssinian  capital  is  not  always 
quite  so  easy  as  it  sounds. 

Further  one  saw  quite  prominent  in  the  landscape  the 
house  of  Dejaz  Matjubado  (commander  of  the  right  wing), 
a  two-storeyed  house,  with  hundreds  of  soldiers'  tents 
pitched  around  it. 

On  the  summit  of  the  hill  was  a  stone  fort,  and  I  was 
told  that  upon  many  of  the  hill-tops  commanding  Adis- 
Ababa  similar  forts  were  to  be  found. 

Down  below  stood  the  spacious  foundations  for  the 
VOL.  I.  9 


I30  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

new  British  Legation^  and,  in  fact,  the  stables  of 
soHd  masonry  were  nearly  completed  when  I  left. 
The  living  quarters  for  the  humans  connected  with 
the  Legation  will  be  constructed  later  on  higher  up 
on  the  hill. 

Sir  John  Harrington  needs  no  words  from  my  pen. 
His  work  is  too  well  known  for  me  even  to  refer  to  it. 
Perhaps,  however,  it  is  not  so  generally  known  as  it  should 
be,  that  this  man,  with  his  remarkable  personal  influence, 
has  been  able  to  save  British  prestige  in  Abyssinia  at 
a  moment  when  every  atom  of  power  had  been  lost 
in  that  country,  and  that  region  was  about  to  slip  out  of 
our  hands  altogether. 

To-day,  thanks  to  the  immense  respect  which  our 
Minister  commands  in  Abyssinia,  we  have  but  httle  to 
fear  in  political  competition  with  other  nations.  Anyone 
who  has  travelled  in  Abyssinia  can  bear  witness  to  the 
absolute  reverence  which  he  commands  from  every  side. 
His  good,  honest  advice  to  the  Abyssinians  is  much 
appreciated  by  Menelik,  and  undoubtedly  the  few  bene- 
ficial reforms  that  have  so  far  been  carried  out  in  that 
country  have  been  due  to  a  great  extent  to  the  sensible 
suggestions  made  by  the  British  Minister  to  the 
Emperor. 

Much  attention  was  aroused  by  the  establishment  of 
the  Bank  of  Abyssinia,  quite  an  event  in  Abyssinian 
development,  as  the  natives  had  so  far  been  accustomed 
to  hoard  their  treasure.  When  it  came  to  depositing 
their  silver  and  gold,  they  preferred  to  do  so  in  a  deep 
hole  in  the  ground  rather  than  in  financial  concerns. 
Perhaps  they  were  not  altogether  to  be  blamed,  but  all 
this  may  gradually  change. 

The  National  Bank  of  Egypt  having  obtained  a  con- 


THE   BANK   OF   ABYSSINIA  131 

cession  from  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  Menelik  for  the 
constitution  of  the  Bank  of  Abyssinia,  a  company  was 
formed  with  a  capital  of  half  a  million  pounds  sterling. 
Shares  were  offered  to  the  public  on  November  7th, 
1905,  and  the  result  of  the  issue  was  satisfactory,  the 
required  amount  being  subscribed  many  times  over, 
chiefly  in  Italy,  Paris  and  London.  The  object  of  the 
Bank  was  to  transact  commercial,  financial,  or  indus- 
trial, as  well  as  banking,  operations  in  Abyssinia. 

By  the  concession  given  by  Menelik  the  Bank  obtained 
the  following  privileges  for  fifty  years  : 

That  no  other  bank  should  be  established  in  Menelik's 
Empire  ;  that  the  Bank  of  Abyssinia  alone  should  have 
the  right  to  issue  bank-notes  ;  that  the  Government  should 
not  by  itself  issue  coinage  of  any  kind,  but  that  the 
coinage  should  be  made  jointly  with  the  Bank  of 
Abyssinia  ;  that  all  public  funds  should  be  confided  to 
the  Bank,  and  Government  payments  effected  by  cheque 
drawn  upon  the  Bank.  The  Bank  of  Abyssinia  was  to 
have  the  preference  over  the  issue  of  all  Government 
loans,  and  the  authorities  were  to  establish  warehouses 
where  merchants  could  deposit  their  goods  as  a  guarantee 
for  the  Bank's  advances.  The  Government  was  further- 
more to  supply  gratuitously  the  necessary  sites  for  the 
Bank  buildings,  its  agencies  and  warehouses. 

The  employees  of  the  Bank  of  Abyssinia  were  to 
enjoy  the  same  tariffs  on  the  railway  as  Government 
officials. 

As  the  Emperor  had  taken  the  leading  part  in  the 
establishment  of  the  Bank,  it  was  hoped  and  expected 
that  the  general  mass  of  the  people  would  support  it. 
Also,  Ras-Makonnen  at  Harrar  was  one  of  the  directors, 
and  it  was  believed  that  his  influence  would  help  con- 
VOL.   I.  Q* 


132  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

siderably  in  the  success  of  the  Bank.  Great  difficulty 
was  of  course  anticipated  in  starting  business  in  a 
country  Hke  Abyssinia^  where  the  natives  have  no  idea 
whatever  of  the  work  of  a  bank,  and  no  doubt  the  share- 
holders and  directors  will  have  to  show  a  great  deal  of 
patience  for  the  first  few  years,  before  any  real  headway 
is  made  in  that  country. 

Fortunately,  according  to  the  concession  given,  there 
can  be  no  opposition  or  competition.  Foreigners  of  all 
nationalities  welcomed  the  arrival  in  Abyssinia  of  some 
system  by  which  business  could  be  transacted  in  an 
easier  and  safer  way  than  it  had  been  so  far. 

Perhaps  the  profits  of  the  Bank  will  develop  chiefly 
with  the  growth  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the 
country.  In  order  to  bring  this  about,  however,  it  is 
necessary  to  establish  first  a  sensible  mode  of  trans- 
port. Menelik,  and  with  him  all  Abyssinians,  I  think, 
are  quick  enough  at  choosing  anything  which  is  likely 
to  be  in  their  own  interest. 

The  Bank  has  already  obtained  the  entire  control  of 
the  national  funds,  and  even  the  Emperor  is  obliged  to 
pay  into  the  Bank  the  silver  money  as  well  as  the  gold 
hoarded  in  the  palace.  Eventually,  with  this  wealth  to 
fall  back  upon,  paper  money  will  be  issued,  repayable  on 
demand  in  gold  or  silver. 

I  was  told  that  an  attempt  would  be  made  to  change  the 
obsolete  currency  of  the  country,  only  the  time  did  not 
seem  ripe  for  that  yet.  The  people  of  Ethiopia  are  still 
so  ignorant  that  it  will  take  some  time  before  they  can 
be  made  to  change  their  old  system. 

One  cannot  help  considering  that  a  country  with  a 
silver  currency  liable  to  fluctuations  of  exchange  places 
itself  in  a  precarious  situation  in  view  of  large  purchases 


AN    INTERNATIONAL   AFFAIR  133 

from  outside  countries.  The  Bank  will  attempt  to  put 
the  currency  on  a  gold  basis  as  soon  as  practicable,  a 
change  which  should  be  welcomed  in  every  way,  especi- 
ally by  those  having  commercial  relations  with,  or  in, 
Abyssinia. 

The  Bank  was  formally  opened  by  the  Emperor  on 
February  15th,  1906,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Menelik  went  over  and  inspected  the  various  buildings, 
and  paid  into  the  Bank  a  few  thousand  thalers,  his  being 
the  second  transaction  the  Bank  had  made  in  Abyssinia, 
the  first  business  done  actually  before  the  Bank  was 
opened  being  with  me  in  cashing  money  upon  a  letter 
of  credit. 

The  day  the  Bank  was  inaugurated,  Menelik  was  sur- 
prised to  find  that  the  Bank  had  not  brought  over  a 
lot  of  gold  and  silver  into  the  country.  Menelik  had  at 
that  time  little  idea  in  what  the  work  of  a  bank  really 
consisted. 

In  order  to  avoid  international  complications,  the 
Bank  of  Abyssinia  is  not  a  purely  English  concern,  but 
is  an  international  affair,  with  a  Board  of  Directors,  in 
which  one  noticed  names  of  many  nationalities,  and 
with  a  cosmopolitan  staff  of  employees.  The  Bank  was 
to  have  branches  at  Harrar  and  Dire-Dawa,  and  it  was 
proposed  later  on  to  establish  one  in  Western  Abyssinia 
at  Gori,  as  this  point  will  some  day  be  of  great  im- 
portance, being  on  the  Khartoum  and  Adis- Ababa  route. 

The  idea  of  starting  the  Bank  was  due,  I  think,  to 
Lord  Cromer  and  Sir  John  Harrington.  Mr.  D.  P. 
MacGillivray  was  appointed  Governor  of  the  Bank  of 
Abyssinia,  as  he  had  gained  much  previous  experience 
in  the  Bank  of  Scotland,  and  then  in  the  National  Bank 
of  Egypt. 


134  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Menelik  at  one  time  purchased  a  quantity  of  German 
machinery,  and  estabhshed  a  mint  in  the  Palace  grounds, 
where  we  have  already  seen  him  at  work,  but  had  so 
far  been  quite  unable  to  produce  coins  fit  for  circulation. 
Efforts  would  probably  be  made  to  put  the  machinery  in 
order,  but  as  the  privilege  of  the  concession  does  not 
allow  the  Government  to  mint  its  own  coin,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  machinery  will  ever  be  used  again  on  a  large 
scale.  The  coinage  could  be  struck  in  a  better  way  at 
a  smaller  cost  in  other  countries. 

The  agricultural  resources  of  Abyssinia  may  be  con- 
siderable some  day,  and,  maybe,  also  the  mineral.  The 
latter  perhaps  will  be  of  secondary  importance  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  The  Bank,  if  it  has  the  strength  to  keep 
alive  for  many  years,  should  be  in  a  way  the  means  of 
holding  the  country  together,  if  all  goes  as  expected. 
Even  the  natives  may  eventually  be  induced  to  deposit 
the  money  they  now  keep  buried  in  order  to  prevent 
robbery  or  extortion,  but  no  doubt  the  task  of  teaching 
them  extra-civilized  ways  of  doing  business  will  by  no 
means  be  an  easy  one. 

One  should  not  lose  sight,  however,  of  the  fact 
that  in  Abyssinia  there  is  at  the  present  day  immense 
wealth  in  gold  and  silver  money  and  in  ivory  lying 
idle. 

Owing  to  the  peculiar  way  of  administering  justice, 
in  a  country  where  no  one  speaks  the  truth  and  black- 
mailing is  usual,  where  the  accused,  whether  innocent 
or  not,  is  not  judged  according  to  his  crime,  but  is  first 
of  all  imprisoned  and  his  property  confiscated — the  urs, 
as  the  Abyssinians  call  it — it  is  no  wonder  if  those  who 
possess  wealth  keep  it  carefully  buried.  Also,  the  fact 
that  a  wife  on  divorcing  her  husband  can  claim  half  his 


FORTIFICATIONS  135 

fortune  tends  to  promote  this  attitude  of  suspicion 
towards  all  neighbours. 

Enormous  quantities  of  ivory,  I  am  told,  are  buried 
in  Abyssinia,  and  are  gradually  getting  spoiled.  Menelik 
has  a  vast  amount  of  this  valuable  possession  stored 
away.  Possibly  ivory,  with  its  ever-increasing  value, 
may  be  used  some  day  as  a  deposit  security  in  banking 
concerns  of  Menelik's  Empire. 

It  is  said  that  Menehk  has  considerable  sums  of  money 
buried  at  Ankober,  in  the  mountains  north-east  of 
Adis-Ababa,  and  also  at  Mongoresa.  In  the  latter  place 
and  upon  the  mountains  of  Tadetchimalka,  where  he  has 
built  extensive  fortifications,  he  is  declared  to  have 
stored  munitions  of  war.  There  are  there  two  Krupp 
guns,  perhaps  the  best  he  possesses,  which  were  formerly, 
in  the  time  of  Emir  AbduU-Ali,  at  Harrar.  All  the  rest 
of  his  artillery  consists  mostly  of  old  Italian  mountain 
guns  of  small  calibre,  taken  from  the  Italians  during  the 
Erithrean  war.  They  have  not  been  cared  for,  and  they 
are  now  practically  useless. 


136 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

It  did  not  take  long  for  me  to  make  up  a  fresh  caravan. 
On  a  Saturday  afternoon,  which  is  the  market  day  for 
horses  and  mules,  I  purchased,  with  the  assistance 
of  my  friend,  Mr.  MacGilHvray,  some  twenty-four  or 
twenty-five  animals,  which,  with  others  I  possessed, 
were  sufficient  to  carry  all  my  loads.  In  fact,  I  actually 
loaded  only  two-thirds  of  the  animals  at  a  time,  the 
others  going  along  empty.  This  enabled  me  to  march 
quickly,  being  able  to  change  the  loads  from  the  tired 
mules  every  three  days,  each  animal  taking  its  turn  in 
having  a  rest. 

With  the  usual  rabble  of  Abyssinian  muleteers,  a 
troublesome  lot  at  best  to  deal  with,  I  despatched  my 
caravan  from  Adis-Ababa  on  February  13th,  and 
on  the  i6th,  with  relays  of  horses  which  had  been  placed 
on  the  road  for  me  by  Sir  John  Harrington,  I  started 
at  8.15  a.m.  along  the  good  and  only  slightly-rising 
road  as  far  as  Adis-Alem,  a  distance  of  some  thirty 
miles. 

I  was  to  cover  three  marches  in  one  day  in  order  to 
catch  up  my  caravan,  so  I  had  to  put  on  a  good  speed. 
There  were  thousands  of  soldiers  along  the  road,  carry- 
ing wood  for  some  construction  in  which  the  Emperor 
was  interested. 

Menelik's   way   of    obtaining    building   materials    is 


ADIS-ALEM  137 

quaint  enough.  If  he  wishes  to  put  up  another  building, 
in  the  Palace,  for  instance,  or  a  church  somewhere, 
he  rides  out  upon  his  mule  and  picks  up  a  stone  or  a 
piece  of  wood,  which  he  carries  back  upon  his  shoulders 
to  the  Palace,  or  to  the  spot  where  the  erection  is  to 
be  made.  The  thousands  of  soldiers  who  always  follow 
him  must  imitate  his  example,  so  that  by  the  evening 
plenty  of  building  material  is  already  at  hand. 

The  soldiers  were  most  impudent,  hooting  and  making 
unpleasant  remarks  on  foreigners  in  general  as  I  went 
along.  At  Manangasha,  where  I  had  relays  of  horses 
waiting  for  me,  the  soldiers  were  particularly  offensive 
while  the  saddles  of  our  animals  were  being  changed,  and 
it  required  patience  to  avoid  an  unpleasant  row.  As  far 
as  the  language  went,  I  think  they  got  back  quite  as 
much  as  they  gave,  possibly  more. 

All  the  people  we  met  on  the  road  were  armed  to  their 
teeth,  but  I  had  nothing  on  me,  not  even  my  courbash, 
which  had  gone  ahead  with  my  sayce  and  my  own 
horse. 

The  country  was  getting  less  barren  than  on  the  east 
side  of  Adis-Ababa.  We  crossed  one  or  two  dirty 
streamlets. 

At  Adis-Alem  the  Emperor's  former  palace,  which 
is  painted  white,  stands  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  with  a 
number  of  humbler  buildings  in  native  style  around  it 
within  an  enclosure.  There  is  a  good  road  leading 
direct  to  this  palace  from  Adis-Ababa.  Several  European 
buildings  are  found  a  short  distance  before  reaching 
Adis-Alem,  inside  the  extensive  barbed  wire  enclosure. 

On  our  right  were  the  Metcha  Mountains,  which,  at 
a  first  glance,  had  the  appearance  of  being  thickly 
wooded,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  were  only  sparsely  covered 


138  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

with    trees.     There   were    many    shrubs    close  together, 
which,  at  a  distance,  looked  like  a  forest. 

As  we  galloped  along  the  road,  under  the  shade  of 
every  solitary  tree  ugly  women,  usually  in  couples,  sat 
with  sacks  of  grain  for  sale  to  passing  travellers  and 
caravans. 

In  the  afternoon,  at  3.20  p.m.,  I  reached  the  Hawash 
river,  where  I  made  my  camp  somewhat  higher  than  the 
stream  at  an  elevation  of  7^410  feet,  having  ridden  about 
eighty  kilometres  in  slightly  over  seven  hours,  including 
a  short  rest  for  lunch. 

I  left  the  Hawash  the  next  morning  in  a  pouring 
rain,  and  marched  along  rolling  country  with  good 
pasture  land  all  the  way.  This  part  of  the  country  is 
inhabited  by  the  Galla,  who  possess  thousands  of  cattle. 

We  met  many  caravans  all  along  ;  one  particularly, 
in  charge  of  a  few  muleteers,  a  big  caravan  of  mules 
laden  with  sacks  full  of  thalers.  This  caravan  was  to 
travel  right  across  the  country  as  far  as  the  most  western 
point  of  Menelik's  empire.  One  could  not  help  being 
impressed  by  the  security  in  these  barbarous  countries, 
a  security  which,  indeed,  is  not  so  common  in  more 
civilized  lands.  Comparisons  are  always  odious,  but  it 
is  to  be  doubted  whether  a  caravan  carrying  several 
thousand  pounds  sterling  in  solid  silver,  not  locked  up 
in  strong  boxes,  but  in  mere  bags,  the  mouths  of  which 
were  fastened  with  a  string,  could  travel  with  equal 
safety  across  London  and  reach  its  destination,  not 
only  in  safety,  but  at  all. 

We  were  marching  between  two  ranges,  one  to  the 
north,  the  Metcha  mountains,  which  extended  a  greater 
length  and  were  higher  than  the  range  to  the  south, 
the   Tulinencha,   which   consisted  more   of   a  series   of 


Galla. 


PICTURESQUE   GALEA  139 

rounded  hills.  The  Tulutatcha  mount  was  the  nearest 
to  us,  with  a  solitary  tree  upon  its  summit.  As  we 
went  along,  the  Metcha  range  was  only  slightly  wooded 
near  the  summit.  Lower  down  all  the  wood  had  been 
destroyed  in  order  to  supply  Adis-Alem  and  Adis-Ababa 
with  wood  for  fuel  and  construction.  In  fact,  all  this 
country,  both  east  and  west  of  Adis-Ababa,  which, 
before  the  time  of  the  Abyssinian  occupation,  was  very 
thickly  wooded,  is  now  getting  absolutely  barren. 

Further  on  I  was  travelling  practically  due  west 
over  transverse  undulations,  with  not  a  tree  except 
in  the  far  distance,  and  grass  burnt  yellow  by  the  heat 
of  the  sun.  We  came  across  many  Galla,  some  with 
picturesque  leopard  skins  draped  over  the  shoulders. 

From  the  camp  at  Metcha,  where  there  was  a  limpid 
little  stream  flowing  into  the  Hawash,  we  rose  to 
7,850  feet,  and  obtained  before  us  a  view  of  the  extensive 
plain.  Here  and  there  were  a  few  metcha  trees,  from 
which  the  place  has  taken  its  name,  and  the  resin  of 
which  is  quite  good  to  eat. 

The  Kulluka,  or  NuUuka,  stream,  flowing  north- 
wards into  the  Gouder  and  then  into  the  Didessa,  was 
the  biggest  we  had  met  since  lea^^dng  Adis-Ababa.  At 
the  village  Ambo,  some  httle  distance  down  in  the 
valley  on  our  right,  were  to  be  found  hot  springs  said 
by  the  Galla  to  be  good  for  rheumatism  and  other 
complaints.  An  Abyssinian  church  had  also  been  built 
there. 

Beyond,  to  the  north-north-west  of  us,  opened  a  broad 
gorge  with  precipitous  sides.  Having  marched  some 
six  hours  from  the  Hawash,  we  met  again  the  giant 
cacti,  the  kulgiial  (called  hadanta  by  the  Somali),  which 
was  so  common  near  Harrar. 


I40  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

More  Galla  women  with  shaggy  hair  sticking  up  above 
the  head  and  cut  straight  at  the  shoulders  were  met 
with.  They  were  not  particularly  attractive,  with 
their  unwashed  faces  and  limbs  and  skinny  pendant 
breasts  with  extraordinary  extended  black  nipples. 
Some  were  simply  dressed  in  the  usual  sack-like  gowns 
of  dirty  white,  others  were  further  decorated  with  broad 
red  beads.  Blue  bead  armlets  and  necklaces,  and  also 
bracelets,  were  occasionally  worn.  One  thing  that  struck 
the  observer  was  the  pretty  shape  of  their  feet,  small 
and  daintily  formed,  whilst  the  hands  were  plump, 
almost  swollen,  probably  owing  to  the  amount  of  rough 
work  the  women  do  in  the  Galla  country.  We  found 
here  again  the  skirt  of  tanned  leather,  or  else  a  mere  kind 
of  apron  enveloping  the  body  from  the  waist  to  the 
knee. 

The  Galla  are,  taking  things  all  round,  a  great  im- 
provement on  the  Abyssinians,  both  physically  and 
morally.  They  have  a  keen  eye  for  business  and  arrange 
their  manners  accordingly.  The  men  are  not  devoid  of 
good  looks,  nor  are  the  women  when  young,  as  they 
possess  an  untamed  appearance  about  them  which 
is  not  unattractive.  They  have  most  lascivious  eyes 
and  lips.  Unlike  women  in  countries  where  weights  are 
carried  upon  the  head,  who  have  a  graceful  stride,  the 
Galla  women  walk  rather  badly,  with  the  upper  portion 
of  the  body  at  an  angle  forward,  as  they  are  accustomed 
to  carry  big  round  pots  of  butter  or  vessels  containing 
water  resting  upon  the  back  at  the  waist,  and  supported 
in  that  position  by  a  rope  across  the  chest  bones  and 
over  the  shoulders. 

At  a  place  called  Tulidumtu  there  were  two  great 
roads  branching  one  to  Gori  towards  the  south-west, 


PHOTOGRAPHY   UNDER   DIFFICULTY  141 

the  other  towards  the  north-west,  both  eventually 
leading  to  Khartoum.  The  elevation  twenty  feet  above 
the  stream  was  7,180  feet.  This  being  a  market  place, 
we  stopped  a  whole  day  in  order  to  buy  provisions  for 
my  men  and  to  make  other  purchases  from  the  many 
Galla  who  came  round  the  camp  to  sell  animals  and 
food. 

I  took  advantage  of  this  halt  and  of  the  excellent 
water  in  the  stream  to  do  some  photographic  work, 
and  spent  a  good  portion  of  the  night  developing 
negatives  under  my  tent,  a  tiresome  and  trying  labour 
when  upon  the  road. 

On  February  19th  we  again  made  a  start.  Loading 
the  mules  generally  took  a  long  time,  and  we  never 
got  away  from  camp  before  seven  or  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  I  did  not  mind  this,  as  I  always  prefer 
to  march  during  the  day,  no  matter  how  warm  it  is, 
than  to  make  night  marches,  which  I  abhor. 

We  rounded  the  dome-topped  hill  of  Tulidumtu, 
and  we  proceeded  along  grassy,  undulating  country 
with  many  metcha  trees  and  numerous  Galla  huts  with 
patches  of  cultivation  round  them.  We  found  our- 
selves practically  surrounded  by  fairly-wooded  moun- 
tains, the  Toke  Toke  range  close  to  us  to  the  west. 
Then  over  fairly  well-cultivated  country  with  the  Agomza 
mountains  to  the  right  of  us,  we  descended  in  a  very 
narrow  groove  of  clay  mud,  extremely  slippery,  down 
to  a  river  called  Tukur,  which,  in  Abyssinian,  means 
"  black."  It  is  called  so  because  the  forest  is  rather 
thick  in  this  part,  and  down  by  the  water  the  over- 
hanging vegetation  somewhat  prevents  the  rays  of  the 
sun  penetrating. 

As  we  had  descended,  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream. 


142  ACROSS   WIDEST  AFRICA 

we  had  to  rise  up  to  a  pass  8,350  feet  high,  going  through 
luxuriant  vegetation  with  beautiful  ferns.  We  then 
descended  one  hundred  feet  into  an  immense  undulating 
valley  of  bright  green,  then  of  yellow  grass,  the  first 
portion  reminding  one  strongly  of  a  Swiss  pasture  land. 
We  went  along  across  this  valley  as  there  was  no  drink- 
ing water,  and  further  the  grass  was  too  dry  for  my 
animals.  We  saw  a  few  Galla  homes.  Then  we  neared 
a  stream  at  about  i  p.m.  After  that  we  continued  our 
journey  on  a  flatter  part  of  the  valley,  upon  which  the 
grass  had  been  destroyed  altogether  by  fire. 

On  the  right,  to  the  north,  near  by  were  verdant 
hills,  with  trees  upon  them,  and  Galla  villages  at  the 
foot.  On  the  left,  to  the  south,  were  also  verdant  hills 
a  long  way  off  above  a  great  stretch  of  bright  yellow 
grass  extending  for  many  miles  without  a  single  tree. 
Behind  us  to  the  east  we  left  a  high  range  now  hardly 
visible  beyond  a  sheet  of  torrential  rain. 

Marching  was  cool  that  day,  the  sky  being  clouded 
and  occasional  refreshing  showers  coming  down  upon 
us.  We  were  travelling  practically  due  west  on  a  fair 
trail,  keeping  at  an  elevation  of  over  8,200  feet  all  along 
the  highest  point  of  the  northern  section  of  the  valley. 
The  valley  can  roughly  be  divided  into  two  longitudinal 
sections  running  from  east  to  west  and  with  double 
inclines,  one  from  north  to  south  and  one  south  to  north 
respectively,  converging  towards  a  central  depression 
dividing  the  valley  in  the  centre.  There  were,  of  course, 
also  transverse  undulations. 

Galla  men  came  in  the  evening  with  presents  of  goats 
and  butter,  when  we  made  camp.  The  butter  would 
not  be  bad  if  it  had  not  a  peculiar  flavour  which  comes 
of  mixing  with  it  something,  also  from  the  cow,  but 


GALLA    HOMES  i43 

unclean  according  to  European  notions.  The  milk 
also  is  spoiled  in  a  similar  manner.  My  men,  however, 
hked  both  milk  and  butter.  Personally,  except  in  cold 
countries,  I  never  touch  butter,  and  never  at  any  time 
drink  milk,  even  when  pure,  and  I  most  certainly  draw 
the  line  at  Galla  mixtures. 

I  was  able  to  purchase  barley  for  my  animals,  a  lot 
of  chickens,  and  most  delicious  breads,  three  feet  in 
diameter,  which  the  Galla  made  for  me.  These  breads 
were  baked  between  two  large  concave  iron  dishes  placed 
in  inverted  order  one  above  the  other  and  sealed  all 
round  with  cow's  dung.  We  purchased  a  great  many 
eggs,  which  were  always  welcome,  being  a  most  sus- 
taining food. 

I  gave  the  chief  some  presents,  but  he  said  the 
Galla  were  not  a  grasping  people  like  the  Abyssinians, 
and  they  wished  nothing  for  the  few  things  they  had 
given  me  as  a  present.  It  was  the  duty  of  any 
Galla  to  receive  white  people  travelling  through  the 
country  hospitably.  These  people  spoke  highly  of 
the  Marchand  expedition  and  how  kind  that  leader 
was  to  all  the  natives  when  the  French  marched  across 
Abyssinia  in  the  reverse  direction  to  mine  as  far  as 
Adis- Ababa. 

I  was  interested  in  the  construction  of  Galla  huts 
and  went  to  visit  some.  By  the  aid  of  candles — the 
huts  being  so  dark  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  inside 
even  when  there  was  bright  sunlight  outside — I  inspected 
several  of  the  interiors.  I  crept  in  through  a  low 
door.  In  the  centre  was  a  fireplace  with  the  usual  three 
stones  forming  a  triangle,  upon  which  were  iron  plates 
plastered  over  in  the  local  fashion  while  baking  bread. 
Above  the  fireplace,  slightly  towards  the  entrance,  hung 


144  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

a  grating  seven  feet  long.  There  was  a  raised  portion 
where  the  people  slept  on  a  bed  of  straw,  also  in  front 
of  the  fire  ;  while  a  few  pots,  pans  and  milk  jars  were 
kept  in  the  central  place,  and  a  few  spears  stuck  along 
the  wall.  Upon  another  raised  portion  the  milk  and  the 
grain  were  kept,  as  well  as  all  kinds  of  plates,  etc.,  made 
of  closely-plaited  basket-work.  A  few  low  stools  carved 
out  of  a  solid  block  of  wood  and  a  few  wooden  pillows 
were  to  be  seen  on  the  raised  platform  on  which  the 
people  slept. 

In  some  huts,  which  possessed  a  bigger  door,  a  portion 
of  the  hut  was  reserved  for  small  donkeys  and  calves. 
They  made  part  of  the  family. 

The  domed  ceiling  was  constructed  of  basket-work 
with  bent  sticks,  and  was  about  twelve  feet  high  at  its 
highest  point. 

There  was  little  else  to  notice  in  Galla  habitations 
except  the  pipes,  made  of  a  gourd  in  which  was  in- 
serted an  earthenware  pipe  with  a  channel  four  feet 
long,  the  gourd  resting  on  a  specially-made  basket  upon 
the  ground.  In  these  pipes  the  natives  smoked  tobacco 
compressed  into  a  greenish-black  cake,  mixed  copiously 
with  dung.     Its  smell  was  sickening. 

In  the  enclosure  outside  the  hut  cows  were  kept,  and 
many  chickens  in  crates.  Near  the  front  door  was  a  large 
heap  of  dung. 

The  outer  wall  was  made  of  posts  close  together,  laced 
up  with  split  cane  fastenings.  One  of  these  structures 
took  about  eight  to  ten  days  to  build,  and  in  this  opera- 
tion all  the  friends  gave  a  helping  hand.  The  thatched 
roof  supported  on  the  wall  was  also  made  of  cane  and 
wood,  and  was  held  firm  by  the  posts  of  the  inner  en- 
closure  inside   the   hut.     Over  the   door,   a  removable 


THE   KODA-KAYA  145 

cane  matting  was  used  for  preventing  people  coming  in. 
The  entrance  of  the  hut  was  reached  after  going  into  an 
enclosure  made  of  rough  branches  of  trees,  with  a  pen 
near  the  entrance  door.  The  portion  used  as  a  stable 
had  a  separate  door,  kept  closed  with  a  mat. 

The  spears  which  were  found  in  the  interior  of  their 
houses  possessed  long,  oval  iron  heads.  The  rod  was 
about  seven  feet  long.  They  were  mostly  throwing 
spears. 

In  olden  times  Galla  messengers  carried  a  double- 
headed  spear,  upon  showing  which  they  could  proceed 
anywhere  unharmed.  Galla  chiefs  wore  curious  hats 
decorated  with  shells,  and  they  made  their  shields — 
the  maya  Galla — of  bullock  hide  with  a  rim  turned  over 
all  round. 

Both  in  the  Galla  and  Kaffa  countries  a  curious 
instrument  is  to  be  found  much  in  use,  the  koda-kaya 
(in  Galla),  or  heshe  kullo  (in  Kaffa).  It  is  an  earthenware 
arrangement  used  for  the  artificial  contraction  of  feminine 
organs.  It  consists  of  a  small  covered  pan,  with  a 
handle  on  one  side  and  four  perforations  in  its  upper 
face,  with  a  fifth  to  which  a  cylindrical  short  tube  is 
attached.  In  this  receptacle  a  powder  called  the  hesye 
is  burned,  the  smoke  of  which  is  said  to  produce  the 
desired  effect. 


VOL.    I.  10 


146 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

From  Camp  Tukuri,  which  is  at  a  greater  elevation  than 
the  plain  we  had  crossed  to  reach  it,  one  obtained  a  fine 
view  looking  back  the  way  we  had  come.  The  plain 
spread  roughly  from  south-east  to  north-west.  To  the 
south  we  had  what  at  a  distance  appeared  to  be  a  beau- 
tiful forest,  but  in  reality  was  a  mere  optical  illusion 
such  as  we  had  had  before,  and  when  we  got  nearer 
proved  to  be  a  scantily- wooded  hill  range.  To  the 
south  the  sky-line  was  quite  low,  over  wooded  hills 
rising  but  a  few  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
plain.  In  the  north-easterly  portion  the  plain  was 
burned  black  for  some  square  miles  up  to  the  rounded 
hill  which  we  had  passed  before  reaching  Tukuri.  In 
the  south-western  portion  of  the  plain  rose  a  conical 
wooded  hill. 

Tukuri  village  was  at  an  elevation  of  8,390  feet, 
whereas  the  plain  was  at  an  average  elevation  of  8,100 
feet. 

The  next  morning,  about  an  hour  after  leaving  camp, 
we  went  over  a  pass  8,420  feet  high,  after  crossing  which 
we  were  confronted  with  an  unpleasantly  slippery 
descent.  We  were  ankle  deep  in  slimy,  oily  mud,  at 
such  a  steep  angle  that  men  and  animals  had  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  erect.  We  descended  into  a  small 
basin    thickly    wooded    with    ghirar    trees.     From    the 


DEADLY    FRUIT   AND   WATER  147 

metcha,  sometimes  also  called  mercha,  gum  is  extracted. 
We  had  great  trouble  with  the  caravan,  men  and  mules 
tumbling  down  all  the  time,  and  the  loads  were  reduced 
to  a  filthy  condition. 

There  was  quite  thick  forest  on  all  the  hills  around 
us,  and  by  ten  o'clock  we  were  traversing  dehghtful 
country,  with  beautiful  ferns,  raspberry  bushes  and 
occasional  date  palms.  Now  and  then  we  came  upon 
huge  fig-trees,  the  fruit  of  which  was  not  bad  to  eat. 
Every  now  and  then,  however,  as  we  lustily  bit  large 
chunks  out  of  these  fine-looking  figs,  we  found  our 
mouths  and  faces  swarming  with  ants,  of  which  the 
fruit  was  full — quite  an  unpleasant  sensation. 

Much  tempting  wild  fruit  of  all  kinds  could  be  seen 
as  we  went  along,  but  it  is  dangerous  to  experiment, 
as  most  of  the  fruit  one  finds  is  poisonous.  The  very 
pretty,  small  yellow  fruit,  no  bigger  than  a  plum,  called 
the  omhai,  and  a  small  red  berry,  the  indoholla,  and  which 
grow  plentifully  in  bushes,  are  both  inedible. 

We  were  here  in  a  region  of  beautiful  vegetation, 
with  the  gigantic  sigha  trees  and  the  huge  uarca  trees,  the 
latter  having  most  powerful-looking  contorted  branches. 
The  undergrowth  was  quite  thick  in  this  region  and 
thorns  innumerable.  There  were  all  kinds  of  creepers 
and  mimosas.  Among  the  flowers,  most  common  of  all 
were  the  violet-centred  convolvuli  and  the  jessamines. 

At  last,  towards  noon,  having  descended  nearly  all 
the  time  through  thick  vegetation,  we  emerged  in  a 
flat,  open,  grassy  plain,  one  mile  wide,  and  surrounded 
by  wooded  hills  at  an  elevation  of  6,580  feet.  Shortly 
after,  at  6,450  feet,  we  came  to  a  pool  of  evil-tasting 
water  filtering  through  a  rock.  The  Galla  say  that  it 
is  poisonous  ;  in  fact,  quite  deadly. 

VOL.  I.  10* 


148  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

We  continued  our  journey  on  the  flattish  grassy  plain, 
and  early  in  the  afternoon,  after  going  through  two  un- 
dulating valleys  full  of  high  grass,  unpleasantly  hot  and 
stuffy  to  travel  through,  we  crossed  the  stream  Ualtinak, 
an  important  little  watercourse. 

We  camped  at  three  o'clock  a  little  further  on  at  a 
place  called  Danno,  where  a  few  Galla  huts  were  to  be 
found.  The  Galla,  as  usual,  were  extremely  polite 
Many  of  them  came  to  my  camp  applying  for  medicinal 
treatment.  They  have  an  idea  that  every  white  man  is 
a  doctor  able  to  cure  any  complaint.  So  during  the 
whole  afternoon  people  kept  streaming  in  :  some  with 
sore  throats  ;  one,  an  old  man,  wanted  to  have  his  sight 
and  hearing  restored  to  him  ;  others  suffering  from  in- 
digestion, headache,  and  last,  but  not  least,  numerous 
people  complaining  of  toothache.  I  generally  carry  a 
pair  of  forceps,  which  are  serviceable  when  I  have 
nothing  else  to  do  in  camp,  as  many  people  come  to 
have  their  teeth  pulled  out.  I  do  not  know  whether 
I  always  remove  the  aching  tooth,  but  I  generally  go 
on  with  my  work  until  the  pain  I  cause  them  quite 
obliterates  the  pain  they  had  before,  and  they  go  away 
quite  satisfied. 

In  Abyssinia,  venereal  complaints  of  the  most  terrible 
kind  are  general,  but  little  relief  could  be  given,  as 
it  is  not  possible  to  cure  in  a  few  moments  complaints 
of  the  blood  which  have  descended  upon  the  people  for 
generations.     Some  had  ghastly-looking  sores. 

Provisions  were  certainly  not  dear  at  this  place, 
although  we  had  difficulty  in  finding  a  suitable  currency 
to  pay  for  what  we  purchased  ;  even  Gras  cartridges, 
which  had  so  far  been  useful  to  us  in  marketing,  were 
here  accepted  with  difficulty.     My  servant  bought  for 


1 


GALLA  CIVILITY  149 

me  a  chicken  and  six  eggs,  as  well  as  some  delicious  Galla 
barley  bread,  for  the  large  sum  of  one  cartridge,  the 
value  of  which  would  be  about  twopence.  Money  of 
any  kind  was  of  no  use  here,  and  Gras  cartridges  were 
useful  to  few,  as  the  Galla  are  not  a  warlike  race.  They 
are  mere  workers  of  the  land,  and  only  indulge  in  spears 
for  their  protection.     They  seldom  possess  rifles. 

Salt,  another  useful  article  of  barter,  they  would  only 
accept  in  compressed  form. 

These  Galla  villages  were  always  interesting,  ^\dth 
children  running  about  absolutely  naked,  or  with  only 
a  goat  skin  slung  upon  the  back.  The  Galla  were  always 
civil  as  one  met  them  on  the  road,  invariably  dismount- 
ing from  their  horses  as  we  passed  by  and  doubling 
themselves  up  in  a  profound  bow.  They  raised  their 
right  hand  to  their  lips  and  kissed  it  when  no  oppor- 
tunity offered  to  do  that  to  my  hand. 

Here,  too,  as  in  the  Danakil  country,  they  were  not 
fond  of  shaking  hands  with  strangers.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  eradicate  a  certain  natural  suspicion  of 
treachery  they  entertain.  Like  the  Danakils,  they 
quickly  withdrew  the  hand  in  an  apprehensive  manner 
when  greeted  in  European  fashion. 

We  passed  many  date-palms  upon  the  road,  and 
prett}^  flowers  of  all  sorts.  The  vegetation  was  per- 
plexingly  entangled  in  the  wooded  parts.  We  then 
came  to  three  open  grassy  valleys,  which  we  crossed. 
Danno  village  was  slightly  higher  than  the  stream 
(5,700  feet).     Here  we  saw  a  gigantic  uarca  tree. 

When  starting  with  a  new  caravan  of  mules  there  is 
plenty  of  work  cut  out  for  oneself  and  followers  during 
the  first  few  days  until  the  animals  get  reconciled  to 
their  new  mode  of  life.     They  kick  and  bite  one  another  ; 


ISO  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

they  purposely  collide,  with  disastrous  results  to  the 
loads  ;  and  in  passages  where  only  one  mule  at  a  time 
could  go  through,  three  or  four  would  make  a  rush  to 
go  in  at  the  same  time.  Result :  all  the  loads  twisted 
or  scattered  upon  the  ground.  It  required  a  great  deal 
of  patience  to  re-adjust  the  loads  time  after  time  every 
day. 

In  the  afternoon,  of  course,  the  quadrupeds  had  to 
be  let  loose  to  graze,  and  getting  them  back  into  camp 
at  night  and  tethering  them  by  the  leg  to  a  picket  line 
was  not  so  easy  as  it  sounds. 

Of  course,  when  you  require  to  make  up  a  caravan 
quickly,  you  have  to  purchase  what  animals  you  can, 
and  not  always  what  you  would  like  to  get.  Many  of 
the  mules  I  had  got  had  been  accustomed  to  being 
ridden,  and  rebelled  somewhat  when  loads  were  placed 
upon  their  backs.  Others  had  never  been  used  for  any- 
thing at  all,  and  we  had  many  exciting  scenes  of  buck- 
jumping  and  stampeding  when  we  were  loading  them  to 
make  a  departure  the  first  mornings.  It  was,  however, 
amazing  how  intelligent  these  animals  were,  and  how 
methodical  in  their  habits.  In  three  or  four  days  they 
became  well  trained,  and  they  would  themselves  know 
exactly  what  to  do  at  the  right  moment.  They  would 
every  day  take  the  same  position  in  the  caravan's  pro- 
cession, and  at  night,  when  they  were  fetched  into  camp, 
they  would  of  their  own  accord  put  themselves  in  a  row 
along  the  picket  line  to  have  their  legs  fastened  for  the 
night.  Grass,  and  when  obtainable,  barley,  was  served 
out  to  them  along  this  line  in  the  evening.  It  made  a 
great  difference  in  the  next  day's  marching  when  I 
could  obtain  a  lot  of  barley  for  them,  as  the  grazing  was 
not  sufficient  for  our  long  marches. 


THE    INTELLIGENCE   OF   ANIMALS  151 

Particularly  interesting  was  the  fondness  that  all  the 
mules  had  for  my  stallion,  whom  they  followed  every- 
where. All  that  was  necessary  to  bring  the  mules  back 
to  camp  was  to  lead  the  horse  to  be  tethered.  The  mules 
would  follow  him  and  be  as  gentle  as  possible.  But  if 
the  horse  took  it  into  his  head  to  get  away  on  a  wild 
gallop  when  he  was  to  be  fetched  back,  then  we  had  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  before  us.  All  the  mules  would 
gallop  behind  him  and  get  much  excited,  and  they 
took  us  sometimes  for  runs  on  foot  of  several  miles  before 
we  could  get  them  back  to  camp. 

I  must  say  for  the  Abyssinian  muleteers  that  they 
always  enjoyed  running  all  over  the  country  after  the 
animals,  and  it  gave  them  plenty  to  talk  about  in  the 
evening  over  the  camp  fires.  Sometimes  they  would  sit 
up  the  greater  part  of  the  night  talking  over  the  inci- 
dent, repeating  the  same  story  over  and  over  again 
dozens  of  times,  each  time  accompanied  by  roars  of 
laughter. 

The  Abyssinians  are  inveterate  talkers,  especially  at 
night.  I  remember  one  day  mounting  one  of  my  mules 
instead  of  my  horse.  The  saddle  which  fitted  the  horse 
was  somewhat  too  big  for  the  mule,  the  girdle  being  quite 
loose  as  I  was  riding.  Going  down  to  a  stream,  the  mule 
slid  down  the  high,  steep,  muddy  bank  of  the  river,  and 
the  impetus  was  so  great  when  we  plunged  into  the 
water  that  the  saddle  and  myself  upon  it  shd  on  to  the 
animal's  head.  The  Abyssinians  rushed  after  me,  and 
just  saved  me  from  having  an  involuntary  bath.  It  was, 
of  course,  comical  to  see  the  mule  with  the  saddle  and 
rider  upon  its  head  instead  of  upon  its  back,  but  this 
incident  lasted  the  Abyssinians  a  whole  week,  and 
caused  more  merriment  in  my  camp  than  anything  that 


152  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

happened  during  the  whole  journey,  the  entire  first  night 
particularly  being  spent  roaring  over  this  natural  and 
somewhat  trivial  event. 

What  is  called  in  Abyssinia  "the  small  rainy  season  " 
had  arrived.  We  had  heavy  rain  all  day,  the  greater 
part  of  the  night,  and  early  the  next  morning  when  we 
were  about  to  leave. 

It  was  not  till  eight  o'clock  that  we  made  a  departure 
on  February  21st,  and  within  the  next  two  hours  we 
crossed  three  streams.  We  were  travelling  over  undu- 
lating, open,  grassy  land,  with  occasional  Galla  huts  and 
some  cattle  grazing.  We  came  upon  another  huge 
uarca  tree  which  had  fallen,  and  which  was  over  ten  feet 
in  diameter.  Then  we  descended  to  a  stream  slightly 
under  six  thousand  feet.  To  the  west-north-west,  at 
10.30  a.m.,  we  had  a  high  range  before  us,  the  Oua 
Corma  mountains,  and  to  the  south-west  there  was 
a  curious  conical  peak,  with  a  peculiar  columnar 
appearance,  which  at  a  distance  resembled  a  basaltic 
formation.  It  showed  at  its  summit  rock  similar 
to  the  one  on  a  smaller  scale  that  we  had  passed, 
about  half  an  hour  earlier,  upon  an  isolated  hill,  which 
we  had  left  to  the  north. 

The  country  we  travelled  over  was  pretty,  but  of 
no  particular  interest.  Here  and  there  a  Galla  passed, 
carrying  a  load  of  honey  upon  the  head.  The  Galla 
possess  many  bee-hives,  which  they  hang  high  on  the 
top  branches  of  big  uarca  trees. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  while  rounding  the  conical  hill 
which  I  have  mentioned  above,  somewhat  peculiar 
scenery  disclosed  itself  before  me  to  the  north-west ; 
a  great  flat  stretch  of  country  with  an  isolated  domed 
hill  slightly  elongated  on  its  northern  side  being  pro- 


A    MEAN   ADVANTAGE  153 

minent  in  the  landscape.  To  the  west  was  a  high  peak, 
I  think  the  Tulugergo.  We  traversed  this  big  plain, 
which  only  had  short  grass  upon  it ;  there  were  distant 
high  blue  mountains  to  the  north  and  north-east — quite 
a  long  range ;  while  to  the  south  and  to  the  west,  except 
for  the  high  peak  which  I  have  mentioned,  were  merely 
low  hills.  To  the  north-west  of  the  plain  was  a  gap  with 
one  gigantic  grey  rock  several  hundred  feet  in  height, 
and  also  another  hill  of  a  similar  formation. 

We  then  came  to  the  Gibby  (or  Djibbe)  river,  which 
is  about  thirty  yards  wide,  flows  at  this  point  in  a 
direction  from  north-west  to  south-east,  and,  together 
with  many  tributaries,  and  under  the  further  names  of 
Guibie  and  Omo,  flows  into  the  northern  part  of  Lake 
Rudolph,  through  the  Guragha,  the  Ualamo,  the  Kullo, 
the  Tsara,  the  Bacia  and  the  Damoo  countries.  The 
elevation  of  the  river  at  the  point  where  I  crossed 
it  was  5,210  feet.  We  had  here  an  amusing 
incident. 

I  met  several  Kaffa  women  on  the  road,  travelling 
in  the  same  direction  as  we  were.  I  had  endeavoured 
to  photograph  them  ;  but  they  had  shown  great  fright, 
and  refused  to  be  taken.  When  we  got  to  the  stream, 
I  crossed  first  upon  my  horse,  and  having  got  my  camera 
ready,  waited  for  the  women  to  wade  over  across  the 
water,  carrying  their  loads  upon  their  backs,  when  they 
would  be  quite  helpless.  It  was  taking  a  mean  advan- 
tage, I  confess.  When  they  got  quite  near,  where  the 
current  was  stronger,  I  produced  my  camera  and  took 
the  photograph.  The  poor  women  were  so  scared  that 
they  for  one  moment  hesitated  whether  to  go  back  or 
come  along.  They  lost  their  footing  and  disappeared 
under  water.     We  had  to  go  to  their  rescue  and  pull 


154  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

them  out  of  the  stream  in  a  drenched  condition  and 
extremely  frightened. 

We  came  across  nothing  interesting  as  we  went  along. 
We  rose  and  descended  over  many  undulations  covered 
with  such  high  grass  that  we  were  unable  to  see  more 
than  a  yard  or  so  in  front  of  us.  It  was  only  in  the 
afternoon  that  we  found  ourselves  upon  a  height  from 
which  we  gazed  down  upon  a  valley  with  a  two-humped 
hillock  in  the  centre  of  it  and  a  verdant  conical  hill  in 
its  north-western  part.  To  the  south-west  a  high  moun- 
tain range  now  disclosed  itself  in  all  its  glory,  heavy 
bluish-black  shadows,  like  spots  of  violet  ink,  being  cast 
upon  it  by  the  numberless,  heavy,  globular  clouds  in  the 
sky.  These  mountains  were,  I  think,  the  Mounts  of 
Gabano,  and  further  south-west  Mount  Sadero.  A 
strange  peak  of  reddish-brown  colour  stood  up  on 
these  mountains,  in  shape  so  sharply  pointed  a  cone 
as  to  resemble  when  seen  edgewise  an  immense 
monolith. 

At  2.30  in  the  afternoon  we  crossed  a  small  stream, 
and  at  three  o'clock  another  stream  flowing  from  north 
to  south.  The  elevation  of  the  place  was  5,480  feet. 
Then  we  rose  to  5,700  feet  over  a  hill  on  the  side  of  the 
valley.  Here  we  came  to  more  ghirar  trees.  Along  the 
trail  we  found  large  black  beans,  good  to  eat  and  not 
unlike  cassia  in  flavour. 

There  were  Galla  graves  near  the  trail.  They  con- 
sisted of  a  circle  of  stones  some  two  feet  high  and  four 
in  diameter  filled  in  with  earth,  with  a  central  stone  pillar 
rising  about  one  foot  above  the  grave.  At  the  camp 
where  we  stopped  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  there 
was  another  of  these  graves,  more  elaborate,  and  oblong 
in  shape.     It  was  five  feet  long  and  was  entirely  covered 


Author's  caravan  fording  the  Gibl)y  river. 


HAIR   BLEACHING  155 

with  big  stones.  Above  it  a  shed  with  a  thatched  roof 
had  been  erected. 

The  women  in  the  Galla  country  do  all  the  work.  We 
met  many  of  them  near  villages  carrying  huge  loads  of 
grass.  One  young  woman  had  bleached  her  hair  artifi- 
cially, and  thought  herself  beautiful.  This  bleaching 
habit  has  come  to  Western  Abyssinia,  I  think,  from 
the  country  of  the  Nuers,  at  the  foot  of  the  Abyssinian 
plateau  further  west.  In  fact,  as  we  went  further 
towards  the  west  this  custom  was  more  frequently  in- 
dulged in  by  the  Galla. 

Nono  was  the  name  of  the  camp  (5,600  feet)  at  which 
we  stopped.  On  this  side  of  the  mountains  all  the  rivers 
flowed  towards  the  south,  volcanic  rock  showing  through 
in  many  places,  especially  when  washed  bare  near  the 
streams.  The  hills  on  either  side  of  us  were  particularly 
denuded  of  earth  and  rock,  and  a  vertical  columnar  for- 
mation such  as  we  had  already  met  on  our  journey 
prevailed. 

We  left  at  7.30  the  next  morning,  and  began  to 
rise  almost  immediately  upon  a  bad  and  steep  trail. 
We  found  a  barrier  on  the  trail,  where  an  Abyssinian 
military  post  was  stationed,  and  Menelik's  pass  was 
demanded  in  a  rude  fashion  without  even  a  salute.  As 
I  am  in  the  habit  of  treating  people  as  they  treat  me, 
I  gave  orders  to  my  men  to  go  on  and  take  no  notice  of 
the  Abyssinian  soldiers,  to  whom  I  did  not  even  reply. 
The  soldiers  ran  after  us.  I  treated  them  with  absolute 
contempt,  and  made  them  sweat  going  up  the  steep  hill 
after  my  mules.  The  men  in  charge  of  the  post  were 
getting  perplexed,  and  refused  to  let  us  go  on  if  we  did 
not  possess  a  pass.  As  they  were  getting  excited  and 
insolent,  I  gave  orders  to  my  men  to  tell  them  to  keep 


IS6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

behind.  The  fellows  got  extremely  anxious,  and  dis- 
covering they  were  dealing  the  wrong  way  with  us 
became  more  submissive.  They  entreated  me  to  show 
a  pass,  if  I  had  one,  or  else  we  must  go  back,  or  they 
would  be  severely  punished. 

I  would  hear  of  nothing,  and  made  them  struggle  up 
to  the  top  of  the  pass  (6,400  feet).  Before  reaching  this 
point  we  passed  a  Galla  village,  with  its  neat  little 
store-houses  of  basket-work,  cylindrical  in  shape,  four 
to  five  feet  in  diameter,  seven  feet  high,  with  conical 
thatched  roofs.  They  were  raised  upon  supports  one 
to  two  feet  high.  Then  we  passed  along  a  higher  hill 
range,  where  we  got  to  6,650  feet.  Further  we  reached 
an  elevation  of  6,700  feet.  Towards  ten  o'clock  we 
came  upon  the  first  stream  that  day.  We  still  could 
see  the  high  mountain  range  to  the  south.  Rising  still 
higher  upon  a  grassy  hill  (6,950  feet)  we  obtained  from 
the  summit  a  lovely  view  of  the  southern  range  with  most 
wonderful  cloud  effects  half-way  up  the  slopes.  A  fine 
valley  extended  along  its  foot  from  east  to  west.  On 
the  north  we  had  hills  close  by,  with  high  mountains 
beyond. 

I  stopped  to  look  at  the  scenery,  the  Abyssinian 
soldiers  worrying  me  all  the  time  to  produce  the  pass. 
They  were  quite  sure  by  now  that  I  did  not  possess  one, 
and  they  entreated  me  to  go  back.  When  I  did  produce 
Menelik's  letter  with  its  huge  circular  seal  upon  it,  the 
effect  was  magical.  They  could  not  read  a  word  of  it, 
but  the  sight  of  the  Imperial  seal  was  quite  enough  for 
them.  They  saluted  their  Emperor's  writing  in  the 
humblest  of  fashions,  and  they  wiped  their  hands  upon 
their  trousers  before  touching  it.  They  then  raised 
the  paper  to  their  foreheads  and  made  a  grand  bow.   They 


MENELIK'S    PASS  157 

asked  me  what  the  letter  said,  and  begged  me  to  halt 
until  they  could  go  back  to  their  huts  and  bring  me  bread, 
meat  and  presents  of  whatever  they  possessed.  Their 
obsequiousness  and  politeness  after  they  had  seen 
Menehk's  letter  was  amazing.  They  could  not  do 
enough  for  us. 


158 


CHAPTER     XV. 

There  were  some  poetic  spots  upon  the  trail,  and  every 
now  and  then  we  disappeared  under  groves  of  jessamines 
embalming — the  jessamines,  not  we — the  air  with 
delicious  scent.  The  flowers  were  pretty  and  mostly 
yellow.  Under  fig-trees  we  always  stopped  to  gather 
and  eat  what  fruit  we  could.  Thorns  were  in  profusion, 
and  tore  bits  of  one's  skin  and  clothes  as  one  went  by. 

Menelik  had  established  a  telephone  line  as  far  as 
Gori.  We  struck  it  at  this  place.  It  had  certainly 
been  well  laid,  with  substantial  poles  inserted  in  solid 
cairns  of  stones.  Many  yards  on  either  side  of  the  line 
had  been  cleared  of  vegetation,  and  a  straight  cut  was 
there  formed  in  the  forest  over  the  succession  of  hills. 

Towards  noon  that  day  we  arrived  at  the  top  of 
a  hill,  6,650  feet  high.  To  the  west  and  north-west 
we  were  overlooking  a  more  or  less  barren,  brown,  un- 
dulating slope,  with  domed  hillocks  scattered  over  it, 
especially  in  the  north-western  part.  In  the  west  was 
the  Salle,  a  high  table-land  extending  in  an  almost  flat 
line  towards  the  west-north-west,  and  as  we  got  a  first 
view  of  it  in  its  entirety  we  could  discern  in  a  bluish 
haze  beyond  it  in  the  same  direction  another  high  table- 
land, which  also  formed  an  almost  straight  skyline, 
interrupted  only  by  a  higher  peak  in  its  central  portion. 
In  the  extreme  south,  as  far  as  our  view  extended,  the 


GALLA   CULTIVATION  159 

range  seemed  to  get  higher  and  the  summits  more 
broken  up. 

Having  descended  to  5,310  feet,  we  came  to  a  small 
stream  which,  unlike  the  others  we  had  met,  flowed 
in  a  northerly,  instead  of  a  southerly,  direction.  After 
crossing  a  grassy  plain  we  came  upon  another  river 
at  the  lower  elevation  of  4,950  feet,  and  yet  another, 
slightly  below  the  level  of  the  plain,  in  which  it  has 
cut  a  groove  (4,920  feet),  and  also  flowing  from  south 
to  north.  This  last  river  was  quite  broad.  All  three 
eventually  flowed  into  the  larger  stream  called  the 
Didessa. 

Further  we  skirted  rocky  hills,  and  in  some  portions 
we  followed  all  along  the  immense  clearing,  over  twelve 
yards  wide,  for  the  telephone  wire,  even  beautiful  uarca 
trees,  which  stood  in  the  way,  having  been  sacrificed. 
Uarca  trees  have  most  beautifully-shaped  branches,  the 
image  of  vigour  and  grace  with  their  clean,  smooth, 
white  bark. 

After  a  good  many  ups  and  downs,  and  passing 
through  large  settlements,  we  proceeded  along  fairly 
level  country  until  3.45  p.m.,  when  we  made  camp 
in  a  pretty  spot  where  several  low  domed  sheds  had  been 
erected  by  passing  Galla.  The  country  was  fairly  well 
cultivated  near  these  settlements,  and  we  saw  structures 
on  high  piles  where  the  Galla,  mounting  by  means  of 
primitive  ladders,  kept  a  watch  over  their  crops.  The 
Galla  till  the  ground  with  a  wooden  arrangement 
drawn  by  oxen,  which  merely  scrapes  the  surface  soil. 
A  yoke  is  used  for  the  oxen  almost  identical  with  that 
found  in  most  European  countries.  The  Galla  need 
few  implements  in  their  agricultural  pursuits,  the  soil 
being    extremely    fertile.     For    chopping    wood,  an  axe 


i6o  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

with  a  small  triangular  blade  attached  to  a  heavy  stick 
is  employed. 

As  we  went  further  west,  we  began  to  notice  the 
influence  of  black  races  upon  the  Galla  type.  Keane 
classifies  them  as  Hamites  ;  the  Abyssinians  (viz.,  the 
Tigrins  and  the  Amhara,  who  are  platyoprosopic,  that 
is,  among  whom  flat  faces  predominate) ;  and  the  Nbogos, 
he  counts  as  belonging  to  the  Himyaritic  branch  of 
Semites.  The  Galla  are,  of  course,  much  darker  than 
Himyaritic  tribes,  owing  to  the  geographical  position  of 
their  country  and  their  nearer  contact  with  negroid 
races. 

We  had  made  our  camp  near  a  small  stream  flowing 
northwards  at  an  elevation  of  4,900  feet.  On  February 
23rd  we  made  an  early  start,  proceeding  over  undulat- 
ing country  at  no  greater  height  than  5,200  feet,  marching 
mostly  west-south-west  towards  an  isolated  mountain, 
shaped  like  a  section  of  a  cone  with  a  missing  top. 

All  waters  flowed  towards  the  north.  We  descended 
to  4,650  feet,  and  travelled  along  flat,  grassy, 
open  country,  meeting  with  a  small  stream  towards 
eleven  o'clock.  Beyond  this  the  country  again  became 
undulating  and  showed  a  sprinkling  of  metcha  and 
uarca  trees. 

We  kept  at  an  elevation  of  between  4,700  and 
4,800  feet,  and  soon  left  the  broken-cone  mountain  to 
the  south  and  the  low  range  of  hills  beyond  it.  To  the 
north-west  was  a  high  range  in  the  bluish  haze  of  the 
distance,  while  a  domed  and  a  conical  hill  stood  side 
by  side  in  the  middle  foreground,  being  the  spurs  of 
a  range  of  higher  hills  of  similar  formation.  Having 
risen  again  as  high  as  5,920  feet,  we  obtained  yet  another 
fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 


THE   DIDESSA   RIVER  i6i 

The  Custom  House  of  Ras  Olde  Gorgis  we  reached 
before  we  got  to  a  small  stream,  which,  at  this  point, 
flowed  south,  but  further  described  a  curve  northwards 
and  discharged  itself  into  the  larger  Didessa  river,  a 
wide  and  swift  stream  at  which  we  arrived  in  the  after- 
noon. 

There  was  a  primitive  ferry  where  the  Didessa  was 
some  fifty  yards  wide.  The  depth  of  the  water  after  the 
heavy  rains  was  too  great  to  take  our  loads  across  upon 
the  mules,  so  we  spent  the  best  part  of  two  hours  in 
conveying  the  baggage  across  in  a  small  dug-out, 
piloted  by  a  Galla,  whose  knowledge  of  navigation  was 
slight.  He  never  landed  his  passengers  and  goods  twice 
in  the  same  spot.  Sometimes  he  drifted  down  stream 
with  the  strong  current  for  long  distances,  causing 
me  anxiety.  The  Galla  was  indeed  rather  at  the 
mercy  of  his  canoe  than  the  canoe  under  control  of  the 
Galla. 

The  Didessa  was  the  first  deep  and  difficult  river 
we  had  so  far  met,  so  the  mules  were  reluctant  in  entering 
the  water,  but  eventually  we  were  able  to  drive  them 
into  the  stream  and  we  swam  them  across  with  no 
serious  mishaps  ;  they  followed  the  horse  led  over  by  us 
alongside  the  canoe. 

There  were  plenty  of  hippopotami  in  the  stream,  and 
during  the  evening  and  night  we  heard  many  of  them 
roaring  and  blowing.  The  river  Didessa  in  this  particular 
portion  came  from  the  east,  and,  making  a  detour,  flowed 
in  a  north-westerly  direction.  We  halted  by  the  stream, 
and  for  the  first  time  I  saw  some  of  my  men  wash  their 
faces  and  hands  in  buckets  of  clear  water  from  the 
river. 

During    the   afternoon    many    Gallas   waded    across 

VOL     I.  II 


i62  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

the  river  with  water  up  to  their  hps^  shouting  all 
the  time  and  holding  their  spears  in  readiness  in 
order  to  frighten  crocodiles  away,  but  I  could  on  no 
account  get  my  Abyssinians  to  venture  into  the  stream, 
and  all  of  them  had  to  be  conveyed  across  in  the  dug- 
out.    The  river  was  here  at  an  elevation  of  5,370  feet. 

Many  Galla  came  into  my  camp,  some  pitiably 
ill.  Others  had  leprosy.  One  of  these  lepers  to  whom  I 
gave  some  carbolic  soap  to  wash  his  sores  with,  returned 
to  camp  later  with  some  bread  which  he  offered  in  sign 
of  gratitude. 

The  chief  of  the  neighbouring  village  also  brought 
over  some  gifts  of  small  round  breads,  so  peppery  that 
they  made  my  throat  and  palate  ache  for  a  considerable 
time  after  I  had  tasted  them. 

Torrential  rain  came  upon  us  during  the  night,  and 
in  the  morning  a  heavy  mist  hung  over  the  river  banks. 
Mosquitoes  were  so  numerous  that  sleep  was  impossible 
during  the  night.  We  left  shortly  after  seven  o'clock 
the  next  day,  and  first  went  over  flat,  grassy  land,  inter- 
sected by  two  small  streams.  Then,  towards  nine 
o'clock,  at  a  place  where  the  ground  began  to  be  more 
undulating,  we  came  upon  Ras-Tassama's  watchmen, 
perched  upon  a  high,  covered  shed. 

Near  this  spot  was  an  interesting  Galla  grave  of 
stones  about  six  inches  high,  filled  in  with  earth.  It 
had  two  vertical  pillars  in  the  centre,  then  a  square 
outer  wall  with  two  entrances  on  one  side.  At  each 
corner  upon  this  wall  were  upright  pillars.  Occasionally 
I  noticed  four  wooden  or  stone  pillars  upon  these  Galla 
graves. 

By  9.30  we  had  reached  a  hilly  region,  5,300  feet 
high,  with  several  little  villages  on  our  right.     We  rose 


BUTTERFLIES.  163 

still  higher,  to  5,450  feet,  not  far  from  the  village  of 
Mullu  Tunhe,  a  settlement  of  some  thirty  huts  on  the 
hillside  on  our  left.  Each  hut  had  a  small  store-house 
near  it.  There  were  many  natives  about,  those  of 
the  better  class  with  curious  little  umbrellas  made  of 
basket-work,  which  they  carried  above  the  head  in  all 
weathers  rather  as  an  emblem  of  dignity  than  for  pro- 
tection against  the  rain  or  sunshine. 

In  this  region  honey  and  tobacco  were  plentiful,  and 
we  saw  numbers  of  natives  carrying  loads  of  these  goods 
to  various  markets  upon  the  road. 

A  new  straight  trail  was  gradually  being  formed 
along  the  telephone  line  which  we  followed,  being  the 
shortest.  Before  us  we  now  had  a  range  with  conical 
hills.  I  had  great  difficulty  in  identifying  the  names  of 
the  various  villages  ;  all  I  could  get  out  of  the  natives 
being  that  they  all  belonged  to  Ras-Tassama. 

We  gradually  descended  some  four  hundred  feet,  over 
a  trail  rather  rocky  in  some  portions,  but  as  a  whole 
quite  good  and  well  beaten.  I  think  that  Ras-Tassama' s 
army  marching  to  Adis-Ababa  did  a  good  deal  towards 
improving  this  trail. 

Another  small  stream  flowing  north  was  met  with, 
also  a  tributary  on  the  western  side  of  the  Didessa. 

I  was  astonished  to  find  so  few  butterflies  in  that 
region.  Those  which  I  saw  were  of  no  great  beauty. 
They  were  mostly  the  common  white  ones  which  are 
met  with  in  nearly  every  country  ;  also  the  small  black 
and  white,  the  bright  cadmium  yellow,  and  one  very 
small  with  blue  lower  wings.  I  saw  no  large  butter- 
flies. 

Serious  trouble  with  my  mules  began  here,  as  we 
had  made  long  marches  and  some  of  the  animals  were 

VOL.    I.  II* 


i64  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

getting  tired.  One  mule  particularly  was  taken  so 
ill  that  it  was  all  we  could  do  to  drag  it  into  camp  at 
a  market  called  Tchara  (or  Tiara),  where  we  halted  near 
a  most  beautiful  uarca  tree  of  immense  proportions. 
Under  its  shade  a  number  of  men  were  selling  sheep, 
goats  and  mules. 

The  branches  of  this  colossal  uarca  tree  spread  across 
a  diameter  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  feet.  The  trunk 
was  over  twenty  feet  in  circumference.  The  principal 
beauty  of  this  particular  tree  consisted  in  the  wonder- 
ful horizontal  length  of  its  powerful  branches. 

There  was  a  great  concourse  of  people,  this  being 
market  day,  and  great  crowds  collected  at  the  unusual 
sight  of  a  ferenghi  arriving. 

On  one  side  of  a  large  square,  perched  upon  stilts, 
was  the  stand  of  the  chief  superintending  the  market. 
In  it  a  grey-bearded  old  man  sat  upon  his  haunches 
giving  wise  judgment  on  all  transactions  concluded  in  the 
market-place.  For  this,  of  course,  he  received  a  com- 
mission in  kind  :  cartridges,  chips  of  cakes  of  compressed 
salt,  slices  of  meat,  handfuls  of  grain,  or  anything — 
always  the  utmost — that  people  could  afford.  He  was 
surrounded  by  a  struggling  crowd  as  he  sat  impassive 
deciding  all  questions. 

Adjoining  this  shed  was  the  vegetable  market, 
where  goods  lay  spread  upon  the  ground.  Galla  spinach 
predominated,  exhibited  by  unattractive  females  with 
little  or  no  clothing  around  them. 

In  another  section  of  the  market  locally-grown 
cotton  made  into  thread  and  generally  dyed  red  was 
for  sale. 

Several  thousand  people  from  the  neighbouring 
country — all  men  being  armed  with  spears — were  attend- 


HAIR   DRESSING  165 

ing  this  market.  They  followed  me  about  like  a  human 
wave  from  one  section  of  the  market  to  the  other,  as  I 
prowled  around.  I  was  amazed  at  the  respectful  de- 
meanour and  dignity  of  these  people,  in  contrast  to  the 
Abyssinian  arrogance  with  which  we  had  so  far  been 
treated. 

These  people  were  quiet  and  silent,  ready  to  answer 
politely  any  question,  and  making  way  wherever  I  went 
so  as  to  let  me  pass  by.  There  was  nothing  at  all  of 
the  usual  idiotic  derision  and  effrontery — sometimes 
even  insult — so  frequent  in  purely  Abyssinian  centres. 

Knives,  locally-made  pottery,  and  bundles  of  long 
canes  for  house-building,  were  to  be  purchased  in 
different  sections  of  the  market. 

A  variation  in  the  head-dress  of  the  Galla  women 
was  here  to  be  noticed.  The  hair  was  tied  into  a  conical 
tuft  upon  the  top  of  the  skull  with  a  fringe  of  little  tresses 
radiating  from  the  base  of  this  cone.  Others  preferred 
a  fluffy  arrangement  of  great  size  upon  the  head,  not 
unlike  a  bird's  nest  upside  down.  A  few  only  indulged 
in  the  Galla  fashion,  common  further  east,  of  plaits 
in  concentric  arcs  of  a  circle  along  the  side  of  the  head 
with  the  ear  as  a  centre.  A  great  many  ladies  of  this 
region  dyed  their  hair  of  a  dirty  whitish-brown  colour. 

The  type  of  these  people  was  gradually  but  con- 
tinually changing  as  we  went  further  west.  We  could 
see  here  flat-faced  tribes  with  broad  noses  and  skins  of 
a  dark  brown-black. 

Eye  complaints  were  general,  caused  not  so  much  by 
climatic  influences,  I  think,  but  mostly  due  to  virulent 
deterioration  of  the  blood,  quite  universal  in  this 
region. 

Comparatively  young  women  were  of  no  beauty  from 


i66  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

an  anatomical  point  of  view.  They  had  extraordinarily 
pendent  breasts,  the  arms  and  legs  were  ill-proportioned, 
the  joints  malformed  or  deformed,  particularly  the  elbows 
and  the  knees.  The  body  was  misshapen,  possibly 
because  of  the  hard  occupations  and  severe  physical 
efforts  which  the  women  have  to  endure  in  the  Galla 
country. 

There  are  fashionable  colours  among  African  tribes 
as  there  are  in  Europe,  and  fashions  change  continually. 
Blue  beads  and  brass  bracelets  were  the  fashion  at  the 
time  of  my  visit  to  Tchara.  Only  occasionally  one  saw 
a  dash  of  red  in  the  men's  shawls.  The  characteristic 
basket-work  umbrellas  were  carried  both  by  men  and 
women. 

To  and  fro  upon  the  road  leading  to  the  market  went 
women  carrying  large  red  earthen  jars  and  calabashes 
with  butter.  Some  of  the  smarter  ladies  were  dressed 
in  gowns  not  unlike  the  garments  of  the  ancient  Greeks, 
with  a  red  border  at  the  bottom  and  leaving  one  arm 
exposed. 

The  men  were  finer  specimens  of  humanity  than  the 
women.  They  possessed  square,  bony  faces  and  the 
anatomical  details  of  limbs  and  body  were  somewhat 
better  proportioned  and  chiselled.  They  lead  a  natural 
and  healthy  out-of-door  life. 

All  the  Galla  of  this  country  were  Mussulman.  Of 
late  years  the  religion  of  Islam  has  made,  and  is  making, 
considerable  headway  in  Abyssinia  among  the  tribes  akin 
to  the  Galla.  Perhaps  some  day  this  important  Mussul- 
man element  in  the  population  of  Abyssinia  may  be  a 
great  factor  in  upsetting  the  power  of  the  ruling 
Christians. 

As  I  was  writing  my  notes  in  the  afternoon  a  man 


AN   UNDESIRABLE   COMPANION  167 

with  haggard  face  and  staring  eyes  and  his  body  re- 
duced to  a  skeleton  by  hunger,  came  into  my  camp — ■ 
evidently  a  case  of  insanity.  Several  wounds,  which 
were  beginning  to  heal,  had  been  inflicted  upon  his  body, 
and  when  he  extended  his  arms  imploring  for  food  a 
heavy  iron  chain  hung  from  his  wrists  where  it  had 
been  soldered.  He  was  a  murderer.  The  state  does 
not  keep  its  prisoners.  When  not  killed  outright  they 
are  let  loose  about  the  country,  driven  away  like  pariah 
dogs  by  everybody  and  obliged  to  lead  a  miserable 
existence.  This  particular  man  was  a  raving  lunatic 
with  criminal  characteristics  noticeable  in  the  formation 
of  his  skull  and  hands.  The  fingers  were  short  and 
square-tipped,  the  thumb  repulsively  malformed.  The 
forehead  was  low  and  narrow,  the  eyes  close  to  the  nose 
and  the  cheekbones  abnormally  developed. 

He  entreated  me  to  take  him  along  with  me  on  the 
journey,  but  I  thought  a  companion  of  this  kind  would 
be  rather  undesirable,  so  I  gave  him  food  supplies  to  last 
several  days  and  persuaded  him  to  leave  my  camp  at  his 
earliest  convenience. 

This  market  was  5,120  feet  above  sea  level.  Due 
north  was  a  high,  flatfish  table-land,  the  Mounts  Qua 
Corma. 

Watching  the  people  provided  some  amusement. 
Many  women  carried  jars  upon  the  back,  at  the  waist, 
in  the  usual  Galla  fashion,  either  by  means  of  a  cord 
over  the  shoulders  or  else  by  simply  joining  the  hands 
at  the  back  and  supporting  the  weight  partly  with  their 
arms  and  partly  upon  the  waist.  Then  there  were  lots 
of  Galla  boys  prowling  about  with  no  clothing  whatever 
upon  them,  and  heads  shaved  with  the  exception  of 
a  tuft  of  hair  upon  the  top  of  the  skull.     The  procession 


i68  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

of  people  leaving  the  market  in  the  afternoon  was  quite 
interesting.  The  women  who  had  done  good  business 
during  the  day  put  on  a  great  deal  of  style  as  they  walked 
off  in  great  state  with  their  dirty  and  broken-down 
cane  sunshades — not  unlike,  sometimes,  much-worn 
chimney  sweeps'  circular  brushes. 

The  chief  of  the  market  came  to  call  upon  me, 
inquiring  whether  he  could  be  of  any  assistance.  In 
fact,  he  helped  me  to  purchase  a  good  deal  of  grain, 
butter  and  other  things  from  the  natives. 

We  experienced  a  heavy  thunderstorm  in  the 
evening — in  fact,  we  had  had  one  nearly  every  night 
since  we  started  from  Adis-Ababa. 


169 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Up  and  down  over  undulating  country  we  descended 
to  the  stream,  about  one  hundred  feet  lower  than  the 
market-place,  and  about  an  hour  from  Tiara  we  came 
to  a  larger  rivulet  flowing  north.  Further  we  crossed 
the  same  stream  a  second  time,  flowing  south.  It  des- 
cribed a  curve,  bending  subsequently  towards  the  north 
again,  where  we  had  met  it  before.  From  this  spot  we 
began  to  rise  over  a  hill  range,  the  summit  of  which 
(6,700  feet)  we  reached  by  an  unpleasantly  steep  ascent, 
and  we  continued  travelling  more  or  less  at  that  eleva- 
tion, and  sometimes  slightly  higher,  when  we  went  over 
ridges  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  range. 

Tiresome  as  these  ascents  were  for  my  mules,  I  was 
always  glad  to  get  upon  these  high  points  of  vantage, 
as  generally  lovely  views  were  obtained  of  the  landscape 
around.  In  this  case,  looking  back  to  the  north-east, 
we  had  the  very  high  plateau  we  had  seen  before,  the 
Oua  Corma,  standing  all  along  the  skyline,  and  south  of 
it  the  valley  we  had  traversed.  Our  old  friend,  the 
broken  conical  peak  we  had  met  on  our  journey,  stood 
quite  prominent  in  the  landscape. 

Owing  to  one  of  my  mules  being  seriously  ill,  I  only 
made  a  short  march  that  day,  three  men  being  employed 
to  drag  the  poor  animal  up  the  bad  road. 

I  was  furious  with  my  Abyssinians  that  day  for  their 


lyo  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

infamous  cruelty.  The  head  muleteer,  who  was  left 
to  look  after  the  sick  animal,  pulled  out  his  knife,  and 
before  I  could  stop  him  cut  a  good  portion  of  the  mule's 
ear,  in  order,  said  he,  to  make  the  animal  march  faster. 
He  was,  of  course,  then  and  there,  severely  punished 
for  it. 

We  eventually  reached  a  village  called  Addis-Jebbo, 
where,  at  the  summit  of  a  hill  enclosed  by  a  wall,  were 
three  round  buildings  and  a  square  one,  the  country-seat 
of  Ras-Tassama.     Near  this  palace  was  a  hamlet. 

As  ill-luck  would  have  it,  my  men  obtained  a  big 
pot  of  liquor  from  the  village.  During  the  afternoon, 
while  I  was  sleeping  in  my  tent,  there  was  a  great  com- 
motion in  camp.  When  I  came  out  to  see  what  was 
the  matter,  I  saw  three  of  my  men,  knives  in  hand, 
engaged  in  a  fight.  The  Abyssinian  soldiers  I  had  with 
me  were  making  for  their  rifles,  and  they  all  seemed 
excited.  Only  my  Somali — always  impassive  on 
such  occasions— stood  on  one  side  with  his  hands 
behind  his  back,  watching  events  with  a  sarcastic  smile 
upon  his  countenance.  He  hated  the  Abyssinians,  and 
I  believe  he  was  glad  to  think  that  possibly  that 
day  we  might  get  rid  of  some  of  them. 

Before  I  could  determine  exactly  what  the  row  was 
about,  the  fight  became  general.  Blows  were  exchanged 
freely  all  round,  as  the  men  evidently  took  opposite 
views  in  the  quarrel.  Taking  from  my  tent  the  heaviest 
rifle  by  its  muzzle,  I  began  to  administer  thumps 
with  the  butt  end  of  the  rifle  right  and  left,  and 
mostly  in  the  face,  indiscriminately  to  all  the  men 
who  were  fighting,  in  order  to  separate  them.  The  men 
who  brandished  the  knives  got  the  severest  knocks,  and 
with  the  help  of  Adem — the  Somali — I  disarmed  them 


A   GENERAL   FIGHT  171 

and  tied  their  hands.  I  conveyed  one  of  the  blood- 
thirsty men  a  hundred  yards  from  my  camp  towards 
the  west^  where  I  tied  him  to  a  tree  ;  then  I  went  back 
and  led  the  second  irascible  creature  three  hundred  feet 
to  the  east,  and  bound  him  to  another  tree.  The  third 
cantankerous  individual  we  dragged  by  the  nape  of  his 
neck  an  equal  distance  to  the  north  and  made  fast  with 
ropes  to  a  convenient  ghirar. 

Sentence  :  the  whole  day  without  food.  They  were 
in  a  highly-intoxicated  condition,  and  had  to  be  shaken 
considerably  before  they  could  be  quieted  down.  Their 
clothes  had  been  torn  to  shreds  in  the  fight,  and  they 
were  bleeding  profusely.  Fortunately,  none  of  the 
wounds  were  of  a  severe  character.  Their  eyes,  blood- 
shot, were  bulging  out  of  the  sockets  with  anger.  One 
fellow  nearly  bit  a  chunk  off  my  hand  when  I  was 
tying  him. 

Abyssinians,  in  a  way,  possess  some  sense  of  humour. 
The  auxiliary  combatants  became  amused  at  the  punish- 
ment inflicted  on  their  companions,  and  after  an  ex- 
cited conversation  eventually  quieted  down,  promised 
to  behave  themselves,  and  went  to  sleep.  The 
prisoners,  too,  after  a  deal  of  copious  salivation — they 
spat  angrily  and  shouted  when  anyone  went  by — 
eventually  collapsed  with  heads  hanging  loose,  and 
snored  heavily.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  untied 
them,  they  were  submissive  and  penitent. 

The  Abyssinians  are  by  nature  uncommonly  quarrel- 
some, and  when  drunk  they  are  offensive  to  each  other, 
and  difficult  to  handle. 

There  were  many  complaints  of  headaches  and 
bruises  in  my  camp  among  the  Abyssinians  the 
next     morning,    and    the    Somali     took    the   greatest 


172  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

pleasure  in  laughing  at  the  aching  muleteers  and 
soldiers. 

We  kept  along  the  crest  of  the  hill  range  at  an 
average  elevation  of  6,650  feet  all  along.  There  were 
plenty  of  wild  raspberry  bushes.  After  crossing  two 
tiny  streams,  we  arrived  at  the  market  of  Bedelle  (6,600 
feet),  upon  a  nice,  flat,  green,  grassy  plain.  The  usual 
long  sheds  were  to  be  seen  and  the  small  tower  for  the 
chief  of  the  market,  also  a  number  of  ghirar  trees  giving 
pleasant  shade,  and  avenues  bordered  by  polished 
stones,  upon  which  the  people  sat  themselves  on  market 
day. 

Near  this  place,  close  to  the  west,  was  a  fairly  high 
conical  mount,  cultivated  in  its  lower  portion  and 
wooded  at  the  summit.  South-west,  as  we  emerged 
from  the  market-place,  we  beheld,  between  the  slope  of 
the  above-described  hill  and  the  one  on  which  we  travelled, 
an  extensive  view  of  picturesquely-wooded  hill  ranges 
beyond. 

We  met  another  magnificent  uarca  tree  of  great  size, 
but  the  majority  of  trees  in  that  region  were  ghirar. 
We  were  travelling  at  an  elevation  varying  from  6,300 
to  6,400  feet,  until  we  descended  to  a  large  stream, 
the  Dabana,  a  tributary  of  the  Didessa,  ten  yards  wide 
and  some  four  feet  deep,  flowing  north-west  at  an 
elevation  of  6,020  feet. 

On  the  west  of  the  Dabana  we  rose  again  to  6,400 
feet  over  rolling  country,  and  our  camp  where  we  halted 
in  the  afternoon  was  in  a  green  little  valley  intersected 
by  a  small  stream,  the  Dabasso  (6,120  feet).  The 
country  was  mountainous  all  round,  particularly  to  the 
south-east  and  to  the  south,  where  we  had  a  long  range 
before  us,  with  Mounts  Seccia  and  Ghescia. 


SWAMPY   STREAMS  173 

At  this  place  I  met  the  first  Shankalla,  a  name  given 
by  the  Abyssinians  to  all  barbarous  tribes.  The  ones 
we  saw  formed  an  entire  family,  with  dear  little  children. 
The  "  mamma  "  was  gaily  dressed  in  a  tall  hat  with 
a  fiat  French  brim,  the  whole  made  of  basket-work. 
She  also  wore  some  beads  round  her  neck,  but  that  was 
about  all.  The  people  had  pleasant  faces — much  plea- 
santer  than  those  of  the  Abyssinians  or  even  the 
Galla. 

A  heavy  dew  fell  during  the  night,  soaking  every- 
thing, and  in  the  morning  my  men  felt  the  cold  intensely. 

There  was  a  nasty  stream  to  cross  on  leaving  this 
camp,  only  about  twenty  feet  wide  and  flowing  north, 
but  with  such  a  muddy  bottom  that  we  stuck  and  gradu- 
ally sank,  making  it  most  difficult  for  the  animals  to 
get  across.  A  bridge  had  been  constructed,  once,  over 
that  stream,  but  had  tumbled  down,  and  it  took  us  a 
long  time  to  repair  it  sufficiently  for  us  to  get  to  the 
other  side.  With  a  few  mishaps  we  at  last  got  all 
baggage  across,  and  then  we  swam  the  mules  over. 

There  were  more  hills  on  the  other  side,  and,  in  fact, 
hilly  country  all  round ;  all  the  hills  fairly  densely 
wooded,  with  tiny  streams  flowing  between. 

The  rivulets  we  now  met  were  not  more  than  five  or 
six  feet  across,  and  yet  they  gave  us  endless  trouble  in 
crossing  them.  There  was  always  soft  mud  in  which 
one  sank  deep,  and  the  more  one  tried  to  get  on  or  out, 
the  more  one  became  involved  without  making  any 
progress.  The  animals  became  perplexed  and  scared. 
Their  legs  gave  way  and  the  loads  tumbled  off.  It 
made  one's  heart  sore  to  see  in  what  a  terrible  con- 
dition the  loads  were  when  we  rescued  them  out  of  these 
muddy  streams. 


174  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

For  one  bar  of  salt,  worth  about  fivepence  in  Adis- 
Ababa,  I  had  purchased  the  previous  night  a  hundred 
pounds  of  barley,  some  grain  and  a  dozen  eggs  ;  so  my 
animals  were  in  excellent  marching  condition  that  day. 
This  was  an  advantage,  as  the  trail  was  hilly,  up  and 
down  all  the  time.  The  small  valleys  between  were 
swampy,  with  beautiful  verdure  upon  them. 

We  were  going  slightly  north,  and  from  a  high  point 
we  obtained  a  charming  view  of  the  undulating  country, 
the  portion  in  the  foreground  being  quite  clear  of  trees 
and  of  a  most  beautiful  green,  only  equalled  by  the 
meadows  of  England.  During  the  first  part  of  the  march 
we  had  been  at  elevations  between  6,450  and  6,350  feet, 
but  towards  noon  we  went  over  a  pass  6,900  feet  high, 
from  which  point  we  obtained  another  lovely  panorama 
looking  back  towards  the  east. 

We  struck  the  telephone  wire  again,  stretching  in  a 
direct  line  over  the  undulating  plain.  To  the  south-east 
in  the  distance  were  high  mountains,  the  Mounts  Seccia 
and  Sadero,  and  due  west  a  mountain  range  stood  before 
us,  ending  abruptly  in  its  north-western  portion.  To 
the  south,  close  to  us,  was  a  wooded  hill,  and  to  the 
south-west,  in  the  far  distance,  high  mountain  ranges  one 
behind  the  other. 

We  then  proceeded  on  a  rapid  descent  of  one  thou- 
sand feet  by  a  precipitous  trail  to  the  bottom  of  the 
valley,  where,  among  wooded  hills,  a  stream  (5,900  feet) 
flowed  northwards,  spanned  by  a  bridge.  No  sooner  had 
we  descended  and  passed  the  headland  to  the  south  of  us, 
when  we  ascended  again  by  a  steep  trail  to  6,300  feet 
at  the  village  of  Tchora  Uta,  where,  owing  to  the  exer- 
tion the  animals  had  undergone  that  day,  we  made  camp 
early  in  the  afternoon. 


WEAVING   LOOMS  i75 

There  was  at  this  place  an  interesting  village  of  half 
a  dozen  huts  within  a  stockade.  When  I  passed  within 
this  barrier^  I  came  to  a  small  circular  hut  with  a  bundle 
of  spears  at  the  entrance.  In  this  hut  lay  the  chief, 
spread  out  flat  and  ill  with  fever,  some  twelve  men 
sitting  around  him  along  the  wall  of  the  hut.  He 
struggled  to  his  feet  on  my  arrival,  grasped  me  warmly 
by  the  hand,  and  willingly  undertook  to  show  me 
round  the  village. 

Each  man's  property  was  encircled  by  a  fence.  The 
chief's  habitation  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  stockade, 
the  roof  being  supported  on  a  double  circle  of  wooden 
pillars,  instead  of  upon  a  solitary  central  pillar,  as  was 
the  case  in  other  huts  I  had  so  far  inspected.  There  was 
a  fire  burning  in  the  centre,  and  part  of  the  hut  was  par- 
titioned off  as  a  dining-room,  with  a  coarsely-made 
table  and  divan.  Another  portion,  the  chief  told  me, 
was  the  sleeping  quarter  and  dairy.  The  roof  was 
neatly  made,  the  well-matched  rafters  radiating  from 
the  centre  and  braced  up  with  numerous  lacings  in 
symmetrical  sets  of  concentric  circles. 

A  separate  hut  was  used  as  kitchen  by  the  wealthier 
people.  Shankalla,  or  barbarians,  were  employed  by 
them  as  menials,  practically  slaves.  A  few  pots  and 
vessels,  a  basket  or  two,  a  few  gourds — that  was  all 
they  seemed  to  possess  in  the  way  of  furniture,  if  the 
interesting  weaving  looms,  quite  ingenious  in  their 
simplicity,  were  excepted. 

The  men  in  that  country,  not  the  women,  do  the 
weaving.  The  weaver  while  at  work  sits  in  a  hole  dug 
in  the  ground.  The  cloth  in  process  of  weaving  is  held 
in  tension  over  the  men's  knees.  The  cross  threads  are 
beaten    home   with   a  heavy  wooden   comb   when   the 


176  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

shuttle  has  been  passed  from  one  side  to  the  other 
between  the  sets  of  threads  ;  two  vertical  sets  of  heddles, 
each  set  attached  to  a  frame,  and  holding  the  threads 
in  position,  are  ingeniously  raised  and  lowered  by  means 
of  two  treadles  giving  motion  alternately  to  each  frame. 
The  threads,  in  order  to  save  space,  are  not  stretched 
their  full  length,  as  is  frequently  the  case  in  weaving 
looms,  but  are  rolled  up  over  the  framework  of  the  loom. 
The  woven  cloth  is  seldom  more  than  two  feet  wide. 

There  were  small  store-houses  near  the  huts,  where 
the  natives  kept  grain,  principally  lupin  beans,  an  im- 
portant article  in  their  diet. 

The  Galla  gave  me  an  interesting  exhibition  of 
spear-throwing.  They  give  the  spear  rod  a  gradually- 
increasing  vibration,  holding  it  with  the  palm  of  the 
hand  upwards  at  a  point  where  it  can  be  well  balanced. 
The  spear  is  only  thrown  when  fighting  on  foot  ;  when 
on  horseback  the  spear  is  never  hurled. 

Again,  in  this  camp  dozens  of  people  came  for  medi- 
cine. Most  of  them  suffered  from  the  worst  of  venereal 
complaints  in  its  most  violent  phases,  from  itch,  eye- 
sores, abscesses  upon  the  jaw,  toothache  and  fever.  A 
little  child  was  brought  to  me  whose  foot  had  been 
broken  during  birth.  The  fracture  was  a  compound  one, 
and  the  poor  baby  seemed  to  be  in  agony.  The  parents 
were  quite  distressed.  They  entreated  me  to  set  the  foot 
right  and  stop  the  pain  at  once,  but  this  was  easier  said 
than  done.  I  did  what  I  could,  trying  to  get  the  bones 
in  their  right  position  and  bandaging  the  foot  up  in  im- 
provised splints  of  cane.  I  have  never  heard  a  baby 
shriek  more  than  this  poor  little  mite  did  when  the 
operation  was  performed. 

With  an   empty  glass   that    had   contained    French 


CHIEF   LIBAN'S   GRATITUDE  177 

jam  I  purchased  a  handsome  fat  chicken  and  some 
eggs.  I  think  that  travellers  in  regions  where  money 
does  not  pass  would  do  well  to  take  provisions  in  glasses 
and  bottles,  which  when  empty  can  always  be  easily  ex- 
changed for  foodstuff.  The  natives,  I  found,  do  not 
always  care  for  empty  tins,  which  generally  get  distorted 
and  spoilt. 

Chief  Liban,  to  whom  I  had  given  a  strong  dose  of 
quinine  and  a  quantity  of  castor  oil,  partly  owing  to  the 
faith  that  these  people  have  in  the  powers  of  white 
people  to  cure  any  illness,  partly  perhaps  to  some  good 
the  medicine  did  him,  came  in  the  afternoon,  to  say 
his  fever  had  disappeared.  He  brought  with  him  large 
presents  of  butter,  Galla  bread,  red  sauce  of  terrific 
strength,  milk,  and  a  bag  of  lupin  beans. 


VOL.  I.  12 


178 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

We  left  camp  at  7.30,  and  half  an  hour  later,  by  a  steep, 
slippery  descent,  we  arrived  at  a  swift  river,  the  Gabbai, 
about  one  hundred  and  five  feet  wide,  and  with  strong 
rapids  near  the  only  place  where  it  is  possible  to  ford 
it.  After  the  heavy  rains  we  had  experienced  of  late 
the  river  was  unduly  swollen. 

Chief  Liban,  with  many  Gallas,  had  come  to  the 
stream  to  help  us  cross  it.  A  high  suspension  bridge 
of  vines  had  been  constructed,  but  was  available  for 
foot  passengers  only,  as,  in  order  to  use  it,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  climb  a  high  tree,  from  the  branches  of  which  a 
sort  of  network  of  vines  had  been  stretched  across  the 
water.  Two  large  pillars  of  basket-work  filled  with 
stones  held  fast  the  opposite  end  of  the  bridge  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stream.  I  crossed  safely,  but  we  had 
no  end  of  trouble  to  get  the  mules  and  loads  across. 
When  I  sent  the  mules  into  the  water  with  some  natives, 
some  were  washed  away  by  the  current  and  carried  down 
the  rapids.  It  was  only  some  hundreds  of  feet  lower 
down  stream  that  we  eventually  succeeded  in  saving 
animals  and  loads. 

The  river,  at  an  elevation  of  5,600  feet,  was  pic- 
turesque at  this  spot,  flowing  in  a  north-westerly  direc- 
tion between  thick  forest  of  the  most  luxuriant  kind. 


ABYSSINIAN    SCENERY  179 

After  describing  great  detours  this  river  eventually 
flowed  westwards  into  the  Baro. 

On  the  steep  ascent  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
stream  a  gateway  and  watch-house  had  been  erected. 
We  climbed  up  to  6,850  feet,  leaving  behind  a  high, 
hilly  region  thickly  wooded,  with  two  headlands  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  scene  before  us.  When  we 
emerged  from  the  forest  upon  the  high  pass  we  found 
ourselves  in  a  basin  with  a  number  of  villages  on  our 
left,  and  the  slopes  of  the  surrounding  hills  extensively 
cultivated. 

To  the  north-west  we  obtained  an  ample  panorama 
of  long  hill  ranges,  parallel  to  one  another,  while  to  the 
north  near  us  was  another  abrupt  headland  quite  charac- 
teristic of  Abyssinian  scenery. 

By  eleven  o'clock  we  reached  the  summit  of  the 
range  at  an  altitude  of  6,800  feet,  where  we  found  our- 
selves on  an  undulating  plateau,  with  villages  and, 
strangely  enough,  good  drinking  water  only  a  few  feet 
below  the  summit.  At  10°  (N.N.E.)  we  had  a  head- 
land. Also,  further  back  a  prominent  conical  peak, 
with  a  wooded  summit  and  brilliantly  red  base.  To  the 
north-west  extended  a  spur  from  the  long  range  we  had 
crossed  the  previous  day. 

Yambo  was  the  name  of  the  village  on  the  top  of 
the  mountain.  At  this  place  I  received  the  sad  news 
that  an  English  traveller  had  died  from  malarial  fever 
at  the  foot  of  the  Abyssinian  plateau,  but  I  could  not 
find  out  his  name  until  later. 

We  remained  at  elevations  of  over  6,400  feet  while 

passing  over  the  undulations  of  the  higher  plateau.     In 

the   gullies  we   met   swampy  streamlets,  always    fairly 

troublesome   to   cross.     We   were   now   constantly  pro- 

VOL.  I.  12* 


i8o  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

ceeding  through  tall  grass,  now  descending  for  a  hundred 
feet  or  so,  now  rising  again  in  the  higher  places,  among 
ghirar  trees,  while  orchids  and  innumerable  parasitic 
plants  grew  upon  the  trunks  and  branches  of  trees. 
There  were  a  few  white  and  yellow  flowers  about,  and 
many  fire-trees  with  brilliantly-coloured  red  blossoms  ; 
white  and  blue  convolvuli  were  also  numerous. 

Not  until  the  evening  did  we  descend  to  a  streamlet 
flowing  north  (5,800  feet).  There  we  found  lots  of 
gigantic  thistles  and  some  charming  snapdragons 
{Antirrhinum).  Swarms  of  small  butterflies  of  rich 
cadmium  yellow  and  velvety  black  played  about  the 
vegetation,  also  a  larger  kind,  of  a  pure  lemon-yellow. 
There  was  a  thick  undergrowth  of  hullyti,  a  kind  of  soft- 
centred  reed  with  white  flowers,  and  masses  of  samhalet^ 
a  tall,  reedy  grass  eight  feet  high. 

Towards  3  p.m.  we  descended  to  the  Goki  river 
(4^550  feet),  flowing  north.  There  were  any  number  of 
coffee  bushes  growing  wild,  and  the  berries  made  ex- 
cellent eating.  The  coffee  in  this  region  was  of  deli- 
cious quality.  I  purchased  great  quantities  of  it,  and 
enjoyed  it  thoroughly  on  my  way  across  Africa.  In 
flavour  it  was  like  the  best  Mocha.  Jessamines  were 
plentiful,  and  contorted  vines  hung  in  streamers  and 
festoons  from  the  highest  branches  of  trees. 

Half  an  hour  later  we  were  again  climbing  up  an 
ascent  of  one  thousand  feet  to  5,410  feet,  where  we 
found  ourselves  forcing  a  passage  through  high  grass 
and  ghirar  trees.  Every  now  and  then  when  we  had  a 
peep  at  the  surrounding  scenery  we  saw  thickly- wooded 
high  hills  on  all  sides,  with  hillocks  quite  close  to  us  on 
the  left  and  somewhat  more  distant  ones  on  our  right. 

When  we  made  our  camp  more  patients  streamed 


GALLA    GRAVES  i8i 

in.  These  people  had  a  way  of  always  coming  in  before 
or  during  my  meal- time.  One  bad  case  of  leprosy  was 
particularly  repulsive.  He  seemed  sad  to  a  degree  when 
I  told  him  I  had  no  power  to  cure  him.  I  gave  him  some 
iodine,  which  would  do  him  no  harm.  He  was  very 
grateful  for  it,  and  soon  after  brought  in  a  load  of  fire- 
wood as  a  present. 

There  was  a  steep  ascent  from  the  river  until 
we  had  reached  Yayu,  where  we  camped  near  the 
village.  The  natives  said  that  there  were  many  lions 
about  the  country,  and  it  was  amusing  at  night  to  see 
my  Abyssinian  soldiers  keep  well  within  a  circle  of 
blazing  fires,  which  they  kept  alight  the  whole  night  in 
order  to  run  no  chance  of  attack. 

Camp  Yayu  was  5,150  feet  above  sea  level.  From 
this  camp  we  proceeded  uphill  towards  the  north  along 
a  wooded  hill  range,  and  kept  at  elevations  between 
5,600  and  5,850  feet  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half,  after 
which  we  gradually  began  to  descend. 

We  met  many  Galla  on  the  trail,  all  extremely 
polite.  They  uncovered  their  heads,  over  which  they 
were  wearing  shawls  ;  they  laid  down  their  spears  and 
doubled  themselves  up  in  a  grand  salutation. 

All  along  the  trail  on  our  left  stood  numerous  huts. 
To  the  south-west  and  west,  after  passing  the  terminal 
headland  of  the  ridge  we  had  been  following,  we  saw, 
further  beyond,  another  long,  wooded  range  encircling 
us  to  the  south-west,  west  and  north-west. 

On  the  previous  two  marches  we  had  seen  on  the 
top  of  hills  conical  mounds  some  nine  feet  high,  the 
graves  of  Galla  chiefs.  Similar  graves  were  to  be  seen 
on  the  roadside,  all  with  four  pillars  at  the  corners  and 
one  in  the  centre  of  the  grave.     Nearly  all  these  graves 


i82  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

were  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  stone,  or  else  of  matted 
reeds  or  sticks. 

By  nine  o'clock  we  had  arrived  at  the  real  Yayu 
market  (5,333  feet),  with  a  uarca  tree  some  forty  feet  in 
circumference  at  the  base,  the  roots  and  branches  spread- 
ing out  great  distances  from  the  trunk.  The  roots  were 
used  by  the  natives  as  convenient  seats  on  market-day, 
and  the  upper  portion  of  them  was  well  polished  by  the 
numerous  people  who  had  sat  upon  them. 

Perhaps  my  readers  will  be  astonished  to  find  a 
uarca  tree  in  each  market-place,  but  it  is  common  in  the 
Galla  country  to  select  a  place  with  a  big  tree  as  their 
trading  centres,  not  only  because  it  supplies  an  ample 
shadow  for  the  people  during  the  hot  hours  of  the  day, 
but  also  because  these  gigantic  uarca  trees  make  easily 
identifiable  landmarks  in  the  country. 

There  were,  of  course,  the  usual  sheds  and  a  number 
of  houses  in  the  neighbourhood,  especially  below,  as  we 
commenced  to  descend  rapidly  after  passing  the  huge 
tree.  Many  people  were  tilling  the  ground  with  oxen, 
and  attending  to  their  banana  plantations  near  the  huts. 
The  country  we  were  going  through  now  was  beau- 
tiful, with  any  amount  of  coffee,  mimosas,  palms,  fig- 
trees  and  vines  of  all  kinds,  including  productive  rubber- 
latex  vines. 

By  a  steep  descent  we  arrived,  towards  ten  o'clock, 
at  the  Take  river,  some  twenty-five  feet  across,  its 
crystal-like  water  flowing  in  a  north-westerly  direction 
in  a  tortuous  channel.  We  were  now  as  low  as  4,620 
feet.  Half  an  hour  later  we  came  across  another  little 
streamlet,  also  flowing  over  a  rocky  bed  towards  the 
north. 

The  most  common  kind  of  mimosa  in  this  part  was 


A   PICTURESQUE   MARKET  183 

the  one  called  ghirbirra  by  the  Ab^^ssinians.  This 
particular  mimosa,  unlike  others  which  are  found  in 
this  and  other  parts  of  Abyssinia,  had  no  thorns.  Very 
common,  too,  was  a  cactus,  with  a  three-winged  leaf, 
these  leaves  in  section  forming  a  triangle. 

At  Gaji,  or  Gajima  (6,050  feet),  another  big  market 
on  the  summit  of  the  range,  we  came  upon  lots  of  people, 
as  it  happened  to  be  market-day.  The  type  here  was  im- 
proving somewhat.  Some  of  the  women  were  striking- 
looking.  They  showed  a  great  deal  of  character  about 
the  face,  their  lascivious  lips  being  firmly  closed  and 
somewhat  drooping  at  the  corners.  The  fashion  of 
dyeing  the  hair  was  here  quite  common,  and  most  of 
the  ladies  preferred  to  dye  their  hair  (which  was  twisted 
into  little  kinks)  of  a  chrome  yellow  colour  rather  than  to 
leave  it  of  its  natural  glossy  black. 

Here,  too,  under  a  huge  uarca  tree  and  the  usual 
low  sheds,  one  saw  hundreds  of  picturesque  spearmen 
squatting  upon  their  haunches,  the  women  and  children 
attending  almost  entirely  to  business  transactions. 

We  only  traversed  this  market,  and  soon  after 
descended  into  a  swamp,  only  to  rise  again  to  6,100  feet, 
and  proceed  across  grassy  country,  undulating  in  por- 
tions. In  some  places  we  met  millions  of  gigantic 
thistles,  eight  to  nine  feet  high,  the  feathery,  white, 
dried  flowers  of  which  were  fully  four  inches  in  diameter. 
On  the  third  pass  (6,150  feet)  which  we  climbed  that 
day  stood  a  gigantic  cactus  fifty  feet  high,  a  tall  stem, 
with  a  big  ball  of  fat  triangular  leaves  at  the  top.  Early 
in  the  afternoon  we  came  to  a  small  stream,  the  estuary 
of  the  extensive  marsh  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  range,  and 
here  there  was  a  great  growth  of  flat-leaved  water-plants 
and  innumerable  reeds.     We  went  over  the  fourth  hill 


i84  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

(6,200  feet),  and  as  we  went  down  its  slopes  there  was 
a  great  village,  with  dozens  of  store-houses  in  rows, 
besides  those  within  the  lozenge-shaped  enclosures 
outside  the  houses.  We  climbed  a  fifth  hill  that  after- 
noon (5,700  feet),  and  we  came  to  the  Harafa  village, 
also  with  a  great  number  of  these  store-houses.  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  this  place  we  found  boundary  fences 
made  with  long  rows  of  gigantic  cacti.  Some  of  these 
fences  were  too  extensive  to  mark  the  property  of  private 
individuals,  and  I  think  they  must  have  been  made  to 
define  the  sphere  of  influence  of  each  tribe  or  village. 

By  a  steep  descent  among  thick  undergrowth  and 
much  tall,  thick  grass,  most  unpleasant  to  march 
through,  as  the  blades  constantly  cut  our  faces  and 
hands  as  we  rode  through,  we  reached  another  stream, 
the  Sor,  three  or  four  feet  deep,  with  a  swift  current, 
flowing  north,  and  more  than  ninety  feet  wide  at  the 
fording  place  (5,300  feet). 

It  was  about  three  in  the  afternoon  when  we  reached 
the  Sor,  and,  having  taken  us  some  time  to  cross  it, 
we  encamped  on  the  western  bank. 

Scores  of  patients  poured  into  the  camp  as  the  news 
had  quickly  spread  over  the  country  that  I  was  not 
uncivil  towards  the  natives.  Several  lepers  came  in 
for  remedy — lepers  were  numerous  in  this  region — one 
with  legs  much  swollen,  absolutely  atrophied,  and 
contracted  toes.  My  servant  was  about  to  accept  a 
present  of  edibles  from  this  grateful  patient,  but  as  the 
sores  on  his  hand  were  of  a  purulent  nature,  I  forbade 
him  to  take  them.  To  my  dismay,  a  little  later,  on 
going  out  of  my  tent,  who  should  I  see  squatting  among 
my  men  but  the  leper  handling  my  soup  plates  and 
enamelled  dishes,  which  he  seemed  greatly  to  admire, 


WILD   COFFEE  185 

and  which  he  was  offering  to  barter  for  the  foodstuff 
that  had  been  refused. 

As  we  were  getting  near  a  big  centre^  cartridges 
could  again  be  used  as  currency.  Adem  purchased  two 
big  chickens  for  one  cartridge,  and  eighty  pounds  of 
barley  for  two  cartridges.  Marketing  was  certainly  not 
dear  at  the  Sor  river. 

I  noticed  in  the  neighbourhood  several  kinds  of 
mimosas,  one  small,  with  minute  leaves,  a  larger  one 
some  seven  feet  high,  and  then  the  ghirar,  quite  a  tall 
tree,  the  most  common  of  all,  very  spiky,  with  long, 
straight,  whitish  thorns.  The  giant  cactus,  with  its 
triangular  leaves,  and  with  offshoots  every  foot  or  so, 
was  still  plentiful.  Immense  quantities  of  wild  coffee 
shrubs  were  growing  under  the  thick  vegetation  and 
apparently  flourished  in  the  stifling  air.  The  leaves  of 
these  plants  were  of  a  healthy,  vigorous,  clean,  dark 
green,  with  a  beautiful  glazed  surface.  The  red  berries 
in  their  ripe  condition,  which  become  black  on  being 
dried,  were  also  in  excellent  condition,  and  when 
roasted  and  ground  could  be  boiled  into  a  delicious 
beverage. 


1 86 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Many  Galla  passed  near  my  camp  carrying  their  spears, 
the  uarano,  over  the  left  shoulder^  and  generahy  resting 
one  hand  upon  the  steel  head  in  its  leather  sheath. 
Most  of  them  came  in  to  make  their  salaams  ;  others 
saluted  and  went  along. 

The  men  wore  skin  caps.  Fur  of  a  dark  red,  or 
else  of  a  velvety  brown,  seemed  to  be  the  fashionable 
colours  in  Galla  headgear.  Other  folks  wore  caps  made 
from  the  skin  of  the  guresa,  a  beautiful  big  monkey, 
which  possesses  a  silky  coat,  black  under  the  arms,  not 
unlike  a  small  "zouave,"  while  all  round  the  lower 
portion  of  the  body  the  hair  is  equally  long,  but  of  the 
purest  white.  The  face  is  framed  in  a  white  beard, 
and  the  magnificent  long  tail  has  a  big  white  ball-like 
tuft  of  hair  at  the  end. 

One  of  my  Abyssinian  soldiers — these  Abyssinians 
have  the  instinct  of  destruction  in  a  marked  degree — 
shot  one  of  these  monkeys  one  day,  for  which  I  severely 
punished  him.  The  poor  monkey  was  wounded,  and  fell 
upon  the  trail  from  its  high  perch  on  the  top  of  a  tree. 
In  intense  pain,  the  poor  animal  seemed  just  like  a 
human  being  in  its  dying  moments,  and  the  reproach- 
ful expression  of  its  face  haunted  me  for  days, 

I  do  not  believe  that  I  have  ever  seen  more  beau- 
tiful  monkeys   than   these   guresa,   and   I   could   never 


BEAUTIFUL   MONKEYS  187 

restrain  my  admiration  for  their  marvellous  powers  of 
jumping  from  one  tree  to  another,  and  for  their  in- 
telligence in  using  the  swing  of  the  branches  in  order 
to  be  propelled  amazing  distances  through  the  air  by 
the  impetus.  The  skin  of  the  guresa  has  a  considerable 
market  value  in  Abyssinia. 

Abyssinia  is  a  great  country  for  monkeys  of  all 
sizes;  but  perhaps  the  totos,  or  dog-faced,  long-nosed 
monkeys,  are  the  most  common.  Irritable  to  a  degree, 
ill-tempered  and  vicious,  these  brown  bristly-haired 
brutes  grow  up  to  a  good  size.  Although,  like  all 
monkeys,  they  can  be  amusing,  they  were  always  quite 
repulsive  to  me,  as  they  were  neither  beautiful  nor 
graceful. 

One  could  not  help  being  struck,  over  and  over 
again,  especially  after  the  rudeness  and  conceit  of  the 
Abyssinians,  by  the  thoughtful  and  grateful  manner  of 
the  Galla.  If  one  happened  to  answer  their  salutation — 
which  I  always  endeavoured  to  do  whether  they  were 
rich  or  poor — they  beamed  all  over  with  joy  and  kept 
bowing  profoundly  until  out  of  sight. 

The  nearer  we  got  to  Gori  town,  the  more  it  seemed 
fashionable  for  the  women  to  dye  the  hair  and  smear  it 
with  a  chrome  yellow-coloured  grease.  The  hair  was 
arranged  in  a  tuft  on  the  top  of  the  skull. 

Silver  armlets  were  worn  just  above  the  elbow,  and 
heavy  brass  bracelets,  the  hamartiy  which  covered  the 
arm  from  the  wrist  to  the  elbow,  were  also  much 
admired  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  only  the  richer  people  were 
so  ornamented,  as  the  poorer  folks  could  not  indulge  in 
these  valuable  decorations.  Yellow  and  blue  beads,  or 
else  amulets,  were  frequently  worn  round  the  neck. 

I  do  not  think  that  the  Galla  are  tree  worshippers, 


i88  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

as  has  been  written  by  some  authors.  The  notion  has 
originated,  I  beheve,  from  the  fact  that  they  select 
the  spots  where  giant  uarca  trees  are  found,  to  hold 
their  weekly  markets  or  to  make  their  encampments. 
The  principal  reason  they  do  so,  as  I  have  already  said, 
is  because  these  trees  offer  good  shade,  and  are  good 
landmarks  for  people  to  meet. 

We  find  the  Galla  type  of  Western  Abyssinia  con- 
siderably different  from  that  of  the  east.  The  people 
here  have  eyes  a  fleur  de  tete,  almost  bovine  in  their 
prominence,  an  effect  produced  undoubtedly  by  their 
connection  with  the  neighbouring  negroid  races.  The 
eyes  are  wide  opened,  but  with  little  expression  in  them. 
The  lips  are  fully  developed,  of  good  shape,  and  in  their 
normal  condition  kept  tightly  closed.  They  show  a 
good  deal  of  character  in  their  firm  modelling.  The 
lower  lip  is  larger  than  the  upper  one  and  rather  heavily 
formed  underneath  down  to  the  chin.  In  profile  the 
lips  project  considerably.  The  nose  assumes  greater 
proportions  here  than  further  east  ;  in  fact,  it  is  quite 
big  and  flattened,  with  broad  nostrils,  which  make 
Galla  faces  better  looking  in  the  full  face  than  when  seen 
side  face.  The  glabella,  or  supra-orbital,  bone  in  the 
central  portion  of  the  brow,  is  quite  prominent  and 
extra-developed.  The  cheek-bones  are  high  and  pro- 
minent, the  face  tapering  quickly  under  them  and 
ending  in  a  somewhat  sharp  chin.  In  women  this  charac- 
teristic is  more  marked  than  in  men,  as  their  faces  are 
naturally  more  delicately  formed. 

Curiously  enough,  while  negroid  characteristics  are 
more  noticeable  here  among  the  Galla  than  in  other 
regions,  we  find  that  near  Gori  the  colour  of  the  skin 
is  lighter  than  the  colour  of  the  people  we  had  seen 


SPIKED    PITS  189 

between  this  place  and  Tulidumtu.  Also,  these  Galla 
are  lighter  built  and  shorter  than  their  neighbours  in 
the  east  between  Adis-Ababa  and  Harrar. 

Oxen  are  used  by  these  people  to  till  the  ground. 
They  possess  a  few  rudimentary  implements.  A  small 
pick  is  used  instead  of  a  spade.  This  pick  is  worked 
dexterously,  particularly  in  sowing,  the  ground  being 
so  rich  that  the  minimum  of  stirring  is  required  to  make 
it  produce  anything.  Bananas  are  grown  in  the  en- 
closures of  Galla  villages. 

One  great  industry  in  this  country  was  the  collection 
of  honey  in  cylinders  made  of  tree-bark,  strengthened 
by  basket-work  all  round,  and  enclosing  the  beehives. 
Many  of  these  cylinders  could  be  seen  suspended  from 
the  most  inaccessible  top  branches  of  the  highest  trees, 
especially  the  uarca.  The  honey  produced  was  quite 
good,  but  dark  in  colour. 

All  the  Galla  in  this  region  were  Mussulman,  but 
although  these  people  make  their  salaam  to  Mecca  at 
sunrise  and  at  sunset,  I  did  not  come  across  a  single 
Mussulman  priest  and  saw  no  mosques. 

In  the  way  of  dress,  the  kaldoh,  a  sort  of  skin  apron, 
was  worn  by  the  women.  Among  the  implements,  the 
uilli  gaff  a  was  probably  the  most  interesting — a  horn 
butter-pot. 

Our  next  march  was  through  intricate,  thick  vegeta- 
tion, that  tore  our  clothes  to  pieces  as  we  rode  along. 
We  ascended  to  Batcho  (5,950  feet),  a  small  village  on 
the  top  of  a  hill  range,  the  whole  country  around  us 
being  hilly  and  thickly-wooded.  We  then  went  through 
a  regular  forest  of  cacti.  Upon  the  trail  we  avoided 
several  spiked  pits  dug  by  the  Galla.  The  air  as  we 
were  going  through  this  thick  vegetation  was  stifling. 


I90  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

We  met  another  troublesome  little  stream  (5,650 
feet),  only  six  feet  wide,  but  with  a  bottom  of  such  soft 
mud  that  we  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  getting  across, 
the  mules  becoming  scared  as  they  sank  deep  in  the 
mud  and  refusing  to  go  on.  I  had  to  send  some  men  to 
the  other  side,  and  by  means  of  ropes  we  had  to  pull  the 
animals  over  one  by  one. 

On  rising  to  another  pass  (5,950  feet),  we  came  upon 
long  rows  of  gigantic  cacti,  used  as  boundary  lines 
between  landowners'  properties. 

Later  in  the  day  we  were  still  going  through  dense 
vegetation,  but  the  trail  was  good  and  fairly  wide. 
In  fact,  we  were  now  upon  the  high  trail  again,  the  first 
part  of  the  march  having  been  made  by  a  short  cut. 
There  were  many  mimosas  here,  with  medium-sized 
leaves  and  long  double  spikes,  white  in  colour  and 
always  in  sets  of  two  at  an  acute  angle  along  its  branches. 
The  two  other  kinds  of  mimosas  which  we  had  found 
on  our  previous  marches  were  also  common  here,  and 
in  the  forest  there  were  innumerable  creepers  and  vines 
descending  in  regular  streamers  and  festoons  overhead. 

We  met  many  streams  that  day  ;  one,  some 
thirty  feet  wide,  flowing  north,  had  fortunately  been 
bridged  over.  Between  noon  and  one  o'clock  we  went 
across  three  more  streamlets  at  an  average  elevation  of 
5,700  feet,  with  hill  ranges  between  6,000  feet  high. 
The  latter  watercourses  flowed  southward,  joining  in  a 
stream,  with  an  outlet  into  a  tributary  of  the  Sor,  which 
eventually  ran  in  a  north-westerly  direction  and  then 
southward  again  until  it  reached  the  Baro  river. 

By  one  o'clock  we  had  reached  the  top  of  another 
hill  range,  and  we  had  before  us  a  charming  view  of 
cultivated  hillsides  with  dozens  of  huts.     We  were  here 


GORI  191 

in  a  kind  of  basin  surrounded  by  hills,  and  when  we 
descended  in  the  centre  of  it  for  a  couple  of  hundred  feet 
we  were  in  a  swamp  over  which  a  rudimentary  bridge 
had  been  constructed. 

Before  us,  in  front,  was  a  high  two-humped  mount, 
standing  between  us  and  Gori.  We  climbed  up  at  a 
steep  gradient,  and  at  the  height  of  6,600  feet  we  found 
ourselves  upon  a  terrace  in  the  plateau  on  which  was  an 
unpleasant  swamp. 

To  the  east  we  left  behind  the  high  headland  which 
we  had  passed  on  our  way,  and  north-east  we  had  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  wooded  undulating  valley  below  us. 
To  the  south-east  and  north  were  hill  ranges.  The  top 
of  the  range  was  two  hundred  feet  higher  (6,900  feet), 
and,  just  beyond,  we  reached  Gori  town  (6,720  feet), 
a  number  of  scattered  houses  being  found  upon  the  high 
plateau  overlooking  the  magnificent  undulating  valley 
to  the  west.  The  principal  portion  of  Gori  town — if 
town  it  can  be  called — stood  upon  two  humps  of  the 
table-land,  the  Governor's  palace,  a  double- tiered 
structure,  with  a  spacious  verandah,  being  on  the 
highest  point.  A  big  market-square  was  to  be  seen  a 
short  distance  from  the  palace. 

No  sooner  had  I  arrived  and  pitched  my  tents  in 
the  enclosure  of  Mr.  Timoleon  Armanxopoulo,  a  Greek 
trader  of  ability,  than  I  received  a  long  message  of 
welcome  from  the  palace,  where  two  Vice-Governors 
were  in  charge  of  local  affairs  during  Ras  Tassama's 
absence.  So  little  do  the  people  of  Abyssinia  trust  one 
another  that  no  less  than  two  persons  are  invariably 
left  to  look  after  the  interests  of  their  master. 

With  the  message,  gracefully  delivered  by  a  chief- 
tain,  came   a   string   of  some   forty   men,   women   and 


192  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

children,  all  slaves — Masongo,  Shankalla  and  Galla — 
carrying  with  them  a  sheep,  many  chickens,  eggs,  native 
breads,  several  pots  of  drink,  Abyssinian  soup,  fire- 
wood, Indian  corn,  barley,  and  loads  of  grass  for  my 
animals.  More,  they  said,  would  be  forthcoming  in 
the  evening  and  on  the  following  day. 

The  women  were  quite  naked  except  for  a  tuft  of 
verdure  in  front  and  behind  below  the  waist. 

These  presents  were  a  nuisance,  as  it  was  necessary 
to  return  the  compliment,  so  that  in  the  end  they 
became  three  or  four  times  more  expensive  than  if  one 
had  bought  the  stuff  direct. 

As  soon  as  these  people  had  departed,  the  chief  of 
the  market — a  leper — came  in  later  in  the  evening, 
when  market  transactions  were  over,  and  he  brought 
with  him  more  presents — more  chickens,  more  native 
breads. 

The  market-place,  situated  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  plateau,  had  no  particular  interest,  except 
the  usual  pegs  for  tying  cattle,  the  sheds  with  the 
chief's  shelter  propped  high  upon  piles,  and  a  great 
many  shiny  stone  seats,  where  merchants  sold  their 
goods. 

The  next  morning,  March  3rd,  at  8  a.m.,  I  rode  in 
state  to  pay  a  formal  call  on  the  joint  Governors,  who 
came  out  of  their  palace  to  the  third  outer  enclosure  in 
order  to  greet  me.  They  led  me  by  the  hand  into  the 
reception  hall  by  an  inclined  plane  made  of  wooden 
sticks,  so  polished  and  slippery  from  the  many  naked, 
greasy  feet  which  daily  trod  on  it,  that  it  was  really 
quite  impossible  to  go  up  with  one's  shoes  on.  There 
was  no  railing  at  either  side,  and  when  I  got  half-way 
up   I   saw  every  prospect   of  being  precipitated  some 


THE   VICE-GOVERNORS    OF   GORI  193 

twenty  feet  or  so  down  upon  a  crowd  of  people  who 
stood  below.  Still,  as  luck  would  have  it,  and  being 
pulled  by  the  arms  from  above  and  pushed  by  numerous 
hands  from  behind,  I  completed  the  ascent,  and  with 
a  sigh  of  relief  was  ushered  into  a  large  audience  room, 
beautifully  clean,  with  Oriental  carpets  upon  the  floor, 
and  an  imitation  European  bed  standing  prominent  in 
the  middle  of  the  room.  Then  there  were  a  few  cane 
chairs  and  a  sofa. 

The  Governors  sat  themselves  upon  the  floor,  and 
Mr.  Armanxapoulo,  as  well  as  Mr.  Metaxaz,  another 
Greek,  interpreted  for  me.  I  was  asked  to  sit  on  the 
bed,  the  place  of  honour,  but  I  preferred  a  cane  chair. 
Tetch  was  at  once  produced,  and  also  a  bottle  of  "  creme 
de  menthe "  of  the  deadliest  green,  while  a  bowl  of 
roasted  corn  was  placed  before  me. 

The  higher  of  the  two  Vice-Governors,  Agafars 
Indeilalo,  who  looked  after  the  foreign  relations  of  the 
State,  seemed  the  more  intelligent  of  the  two,  and  had 
quite  a  pleasant  face.  They  seemed  anxious  to  know 
whether  I  had  a  pass  from  the  Emperor,  and  when  I 
duly  produced  it,  they  stood  up  on  seeing  the  Imperial 
seal  upon  the  letter,  and  immediately  called  in  a  third 
man  to  read  what  it  was  all  about,  as  the  Governors 
themselves  could  not  read  at  all.  When  I  handed  the 
letter  over  to  them,  they  first  wiped  their  hands  upon 
their  clothes,  then  brought  the  letter  up  to  the  forehead 
and  bowed.  When  the  sentence  was  read  that  every- 
thing must  be  done  for  me  to  make  my  journey  easy, 
and  that  I  had  the  Emperor's  permission  to  proceed  in 
any  direction  I  wished,  the  two  Vice-Governors  bowed 
themselves  double.  They  said  whatever  I  commanded 
they  were  ready  to  do. 

VOL.  I.  13 


194  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Both  of  them  seemed  to  pay  more  attention  to  drink 
and  food  than  to  serious  conversation  with  any  sequel 
to  it,  but  they  were  certainly  polite. 

My  soldiers  and  attendants  were  also  called  in,  and 
were  treated  to  salt  coffee,  as  well  as  to  two  bottles  each 
of  wine. 

The  second  Vice-Governor,  Kaniazmatch  Olde 
Gabriel,  who  cared  for  the  household  affairs,  was  per- 
haps not  quite  so  attractive  as  his  companion.  His 
face  could  not  be  pronounced  so  genial ;  in  fact,  there 
was  something  mean  about  his  features,  which  were, 
moreover,  badly  pock-marked.  He  was  well  known  in 
Abyssinia  as  the  official  who  was  publicly  flogged  in 
Adis- Ababa  at  the  instance  of  Sir  John  Harrington,  the 
British  Minister,  for  offensive  and  interfering  behaviour 
towards  a  British  officer. 

In  the  evening  there  came  outside  m}^  tent  the 
official  musicians,  with  their  malakat,  or  elongated 
trumpets,  not  unlike  those  used  in  Central  Italy  on  the 
eve  of  the  Epiphany,  except  that  the  Italian  ones  were 
made  of  glass,  whereas  those  of  Abyssinia  were  of  reeds, 
five  feet  in  length,  and  strengthened  by  a  leather  cover 
sewn  upon  them.  There  was  also  a  smaller  trumpet, 
the  ambelt,  and  both  produced  a  tremulous,  twangy 
sound,  mournful  to  a  degree. 

These  official  musicians  had  come  to  offer  the  proper 
welcome  by  announcing  to  the  whole  country  around 
with  their  unmusical  sounds  that  a  foreign  visitor  had 
arrived  in  the  town.  Having  received  the  usual  present, 
they  eventually  departed. 

I  was  astonished  to  find  so  few  musical  instruments 
in  a  country  like  Abyssinia.  Beyond  the  nugara,  or 
drum,    the   small   baganna^   a   kind   of   violin,    and   the 


OFFICIAL    MUSICIANS  195 

kherar,  all  of  which,  except  the  drum,  they  play  ex- 
tremely badly,  there  were  really  no  typical  musical 
instruments  of  any  importance. 

The  drum,  curiously,  is  never  played  when  the 
Emperor  goes  out,  and  in  time  of  war  the  drummer 
always  keeps  near  the  Emperor,  principally  in  order 
to  convey  signals  of  command. 


VOL,   I.  13* 


196 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

We  left  Gori  on  a  Sunday  morning,  March  4th,  having 
done  what  marketing  we  could  in  the  place.  We 
descended  quickly  more  than  a  thousand  feet  among 
spiky  ghirar  trees  and  a  thick  undergrowth.  Two 
streams  crossed  the  trail.  One  particularly  was  most 
picturesque,  running  in  waterfalls  over  a  rocky  incline, 
and  so  swift  that  a  bridge  had  been  constructed  over 
it,  or  else  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  cross.  After 
this  we  came  to  fairly  open  country  near  the  trail, 
except  in  some  portions,  where  we  went  through  pic- 
turesque forest,  with  lots  of  coffee  plants,  and  vines  of 
great  length  hanging  from  the  tallest  trees.  Tall, 
corrugated  palms,  forty-five  feet  high,  with  oblong 
leaves,  were  numerous,  and  also  the  high  palm  with  a 
clean  barked  trunk  and  a  top  tuft  of  leaves  like  a  large 
ball. 

We  had  rather  a  hard  march  for  the  animals  that  day, 
as  the  country  was  mountainous,  and  we  kept  mount- 
ing and  descending  hundreds  of  feet.  First,  over  a 
pass  5,900  feet  high,  then  an  hour  later  down  to  a  stream 
bridged  over  and  flowing  north  no  higher  than  5,550 
feet.  Then  again  we  ascended  over  undulating  country 
to  an  elevation  of  5,800  feet,  and  by  three  o'clock  we 
had  arrived  at  a  fair-sized  stream,  also  flowing  north- 
wards, but  only  5,300  feet  above  the  sea  level. 


THE   BURU   MARKET  197 

The  country  was  now  fairly  wooded  all  along. 
After  a  continuous  march  of  eight  hours  we  encamped 
at  a  place  called  Abbiyu,  where  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  cultivation  and  extremely  pretty  hills  all 
round  dotted  with  huts,  especially  to  the  west  and 
north-west. 

It  was  rather  curious  to  notice  here  again  all  the 
men  with  their  noses  covered  with  their  shawls,  in  order 
not  to  be  upset  by  the  corpse-like  odour  of  a  white  man  ! 

We  left  early  the  next  morning,  passing  two  small 
streams  flowing  north,  and  continuing  up  and  down 
across  very  hilly  country.  On  the  top  of  a  hill  range  we 
came  to  the  Buru  market,  with  many  sheds.  Then  up 
and  down,  up  and  down  again,  all  the  time,  our  eleva- 
tions varying  between  5,800  and  5,900  feet. 

In  one  spot  we  came  to  a  cone  of  earth  enclosed 
in  a  fence.  Upon  it  was  a  flagstaff  with  a  conical 
white  top,  from  which  flew  a  red-and-white  flag,  a  mere 
handkerchief  split  in  two.  This  was  of  course  a  tomb. 
The  bier,  or  stretcher,  on  which  the  dead  body  had  been 
conveyed  to  its  burial-ground  was  still  lying  on  one  side 
of  the  conical  mound. 

The  hills  were  well  cultivated  near  here,  and  lots 
of  cattle  grazed  in  the  meadows.  Dozens  and  dozens  of 
huts,  each  with  a  group  of  small  store-houses,  dotted  the 
landscape,  and  fine  uarca  trees  of  great  size  were 
numerous.  As  we  came  further  west  in  Abyssinia,  it 
was  noticeable  that  the  Galla  had  thatched  walls  to 
their  huts  instead  of  mud  ones,  as  was  the  case  further 
east. 

In  the  afternoon  we  descended  to  a  stream  (5,300 
feet),  flowing  north,  a  tributary  of  the  Birbir,  which 
eventually   flows   into   the  Baro.     The   vegetation   was 


iqB  across  Widest  africa 

not  so  luxurious  as  we  proceeded  westward,  and  we  now 
had  rounded  hills  with  few  trees. 

In  the  population,  too,  we  did  not  see  so  many  Galla, 
but  we  occasionally  met  some  of  the  giant  Yambo, 
with  their  shrivelled-up  women,  who  wore  nothing 
more  than  a  hide  round  the  hips  and  a  string  of  blue 
beads  round  the  loins.  Most  of  them  had  big  paunches, 
quite  a  deformity,  caused  in  great  measure  by  the  rudi- 
mentary way  of  tying  the  umbilicus  at  birth,  also  by 
intestinal  derangements,  which  are  frequent  with  most 
of  the  tribes  living  in  tropical  and  semi-tropical  Africa. 
I  came  across  several  cases  of  beri-beri,  the  legs  having 
become  much  swollen. 

The  women  usually  inserted  in  their  hair  a  brass  or 
ivory  ornament  sticking  upright  at  the  back  of  the  head. 
The  children,  who  went  about  quite  naked,  wore  a 
circular  tuft  of  hair  on  the  top  of  the  head,  whereas  the 
rest  of  the  cranium  was  shaved  clean. 

Bure,  situated  on  the  western  edge  of  the  plateau, 
was  reached  after  hard  marching  for  the  mules  and 
horses. 

I  stayed  there  one  day  in  order  to  obtain  fresh 
muleteers,  as  the  Abyssinians  I  had  taken  from  Adis- 
Ababa  were  terrified  at  having  to  descend  from  the 
plateau  into  the  low  fever  country  of  the  Sobat,  and  they 
refused  to  come  any  further. 

Nagadras  Biru,  the  Governor  at  Bure,  a  most  in- 
telligent and  polite  man,  did  all  he  could  to  assist  me 
in  finding  other  men,  and,  in  lact,  succeeded  in  pro- 
viding me  at  once  with  exchange  muleteers.  At  the 
head  of  them  he  placed  a  man  who  had  been  prominent 
in  the  war  against  the  Italians,  and  who  spoke  Italian 
quite  fluently.   He  was  the  brother  of  *Tesfa  Michel,  who 


NAGADRAS    BIRU  199 

was  now  official  secretary  and  interpreter  to  the 
Governor,  and  who  was  at  one  time  interpreter  to 
General  Barattieri  during  the  famous  battle  which  saw 
the  defeat  of  the  Italians.  Tesfa  Michel  also  spoke 
Italian  fluently,  as  also  did  Ligg  Cassa,  another  in- 
terpreter with  the  Governor.  Both  these  men  were  from 
Tigre,  and  were  quite  superior  people  to  those  of  the 
Shoa. 

The  Governor  himself,  a  man  of  an  extremely  highly- 
strung  temperament,  was  enterprising,  and  took  the 
keenest  interest  in  the  commercial  and  agricultural 
development  of  his  province.  He  was  a  native  of  Bulga, 
in  the  Shoa,  and  was  thirty-nine  years  of  age.  He 
struck  me  as  being,  after  Ras-Makonnen,  one  of  the 
cleverest  men  I  had  met  in  Abyssinia.  He  was  married 
to  a  pretty  and  most  charming  wife,  with  whom  he 
lived  happily  in  the  palace  and  whom  he  treated  quite 
in  European  style.  She  helped  him  in  entertaining 
visitors,  and  for  an  Abyssinian  woman  she  was  indeed 
quite  bright  and  pleasant. 

From  Bure  to  the  country  of  the  Yambos  at  the  foot 
of  the  plateau,  we  should  have  to  travel  by  a  bad 
and  steep  trail,  and  my  animals  being  tired,  I  hired  a 
number  of  carriers  to  convey  the  loads  upon  their  heads 
in  order  to  spare  the  animals.  A  Yambo  chief  was 
called  in,  and  the  Governor  demanded  the  carriers  I 
required.  The  Abyssinians  stand  no  nonsense  on  the 
part  of  these  barbarians,  and  the  men  came  forth  at 
once. 

These  Yambos  were  most  peculiar  people,  capri- 
cious in  no  small  degree,  great  lumbering  figures,  with 
not  a  stitch  of  clothing  upon  them,  but  occasionally 
with  a  cap  of  guresa  skin  upon  the  head.     Others  had 


200  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

bleached  the  hair  white,  or  else  dyed  it  red  with  a  peculiar 
composition  they  use,  which  we  will  examine  later  on. 

They  gave  me  a  deal  of  trouble  when  they  came  to 
examine  the  loads.  These  people  were  superstitious. 
There  was  one  box  painted  black  which  nobody  would 
carry  for  no  other  reason  than  because  it  was  painted 
black.  In  fact,  although  I  got  two  men  for  this  par- 
ticular box,  one  to  carry  it  and  one  to  look  after  him 
so  that  he  did  not  escape,  this  package  was  abandoned 
on  the  road  several  times,  and  I  eventually  had  to  cover 
it  with  a  piece  of  canvas  so  as  to  avoid  further  trouble. 

A  distinctive  mark  of  this  tribe  was  the  extraction  of 
the  four  front  lower  teeth,  which  they  removed  with  the 
point  of  a  spear. 

Before  a  chief,  the  Yambo  make  a  deep  bow  on 
passing,  keeping  the  hands  behind  the  back,  while  the 
women  usually  kneel  down.  Abbazzalle  was  the  chief 
of  the  Yambo  who  live  on  the  top  edge  of  the  plateau, 
his  brother  being  a  sub-chief. 

It  was  rather  pitiful  to  find  here  at  Bure  a  number 
of  Greek  traders  extremely  ill  with  malarial  fever. 
They  had  contracted  it  at  Gambela  at  the  foot  of  the 
escarpment.  They  were  terribly  depressed,  and  their 
condition  excited  a  good  deal  of  compassion.  I  felt  all 
the  more  for  them,  for  on  my  arrival  they  had  great 
expectations  of  obtaining  medicine  from  me,  and  their 
hearts  sank  deep  when  they  heard  that  beyond  some 
carbolic  soap,  castor  oil,  caustic  and  iodine,  I  carried 
no  medicines  with  me. 

There  had  been  a  great  rush  of  these  Greek  traders 
for  Gambela  when  this  western  route  of  Abyssinia  was 
opened  from  Khartoum.  The  results  had  not  come  up 
to  their  expectation,  and  all  seemed  dejected  and  dis- 


COMMERCIAL   POSSIBILITIES  201 

couraged.  Not  only  had  the  trade  proved  not  quite  so 
good  as  was  expected,  but  the  climate,  these  men  said, 
was  so  bad  that  it  was  impossible  for  any  human  being 
to  live  in  the  place. 

Undoubtedly  some  day,  if  things  are  managed 
properly,  this  route  via  the  Sobat  to  the  Nile  should 
become  a  well-beaten  one,  and  Bure,  owing  to  its  geo- 
graphical situation  and  the  invigorating  climate  it 
possesses,  ought  to  become  the  most  important  centre 
of  traffic  between  Adis-Ababa  and  the  Nile,  much  more 
so  than  Gori,  the  former  capital.  Bure,  from  a  com- 
mercial point  of  view,  is  better  situated,  being  nearer 
the  Salle  and  Motcha  districts,  where  coffee,  ginger,  and 
a  kind  of  scented  onion  are  grown  in  immense  quan- 
tities. I  think  Gori  was  selected  by  the  Abyssinians  as 
the  capital  of  that  district  more  with  an  eye  to  the 
possibility  of  trouble  with  the  Galla  than  for  the  com- 
mercial development  of  the  country. 

Sheep  and  goat  skins,  oxen,  hides,  butter,  honey, 
wax,  rubber  and  coffee  are  plentiful  all  over  the  country 
near  and  about  Bure. 

Messrs.  Gerolimato  and  Co.,  of  Harrar,  were  en- 
deavouring to  develop  the  commercial  possibilities  of 
Western  Abyssinia,  and  they  had  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  Ras  Tassama  in  order  to  see  what  could  be 
done  ;  but  I  believe  that  they  encountered  many  diffi- 
culties which  they  had  not  at  first  anticipated.  Principal 
of  these  difficulties  was  the  heavy  tax  imposed  at 
Gambela  of  nine  per  cent,  on  the  sale  price  (not  on  the 
trade  value),  and  without  any  allowance  whatever  for 
damage  to  goods  upon  the  journey.  The  expensive 
charges  for  transport  by  river  as  far  as  Gambela  to  Bure 
(one   thaler,  or   two   shillings,  for   every   sixty   pounds, 


202  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

and  another  thaler  from  Bure  to  Gori  for  the  same 
weight)  are  prohibitive  for  goods  which  have  to  be 
sold  at  low  prices  to  the  natives.  It  also  makes  the 
price  by  that  route  too  heavy  for  exports  to  be  able  to 
compete  with  those  from  other  markets  in  the  Sudan, 
Egypt  and  Europe. 

Coffee,  for  instance,  which  can  be  purchased  for  three 
thalers  (six  shillings)  a  faram  (thirty-seven  and  a  half 
pounds),  costs  as  much  as  two  and  a  half  thalers  for 
carriage  merely  to  Gambela,  three  to  four  days'  journey. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  coffee  industry,  which  could  be  made 
extremely  remunerative  in  Western  Abyssinia,  is  now 
simply  killed  by  the  existing  conditions. 

It  is  difficult  to  transport  machinery  by  the  methods 
now  at  hand.  When  I  was  at  Gori  and  Bure,  machines 
for  cleaning  coffee  were  expected,  but  had  been  delayed 
at  Khartoum,  the  Sobat  river  being  navigable  only  for 
a  certain  period  of  the  year,  the  merchandise  accumulating 
so  that  the  small  steamers  which  ply  to  Gambela  once 
or  twice  during  the  year  have  not  sufficient  carrying 
capacity  to  transport  all. 

Madappolam,  Manchester  drill,  variegated  white  pique 
(the  duriah),  shash,  usually  red,  and  American  grey 
cloth  are  the  principal  articles  in  demand  in  the  local 
markets.  Manchester  cottons  had  of  late  gained  a  good 
deal  over  the  American,  but,  as  we  shall  see  presently, 
the  difficulty  of  conveying  these  goods  in  safety  from 
Gambela  to  Bure  and  Gori  is  great  at  present,  as 
there  are  no  sheds  upon  the  trail  where  the  goods  can 
be  stored  in  wet  weather.  Also,  during  the  rainy  season 
the  rivers  are  dangerous  for  men  and  loads. 

Even  without  reckoning  the  money  for  warehousing 
in  Khartoum  while  awaiting  transport  by  water  up  the 


CIVET   CATS  203 

Sobat,  the  price  of  goods  becomes  prohibitive  by  the  time 
they  reach  Gori.  To  push  goods  further  towards  Adis- 
Ababa  it  is  necessary  to  send  them  by  caravan,  the  lowest 
rate  for  the  hire  of  mules  being  eight  thalers  (sixteen 
shillings)  between  Gori  and  the  capital.  The  ropes  for 
tying  the  loads,  the  sacks  and  strong  packages  which 
have  to  be  made  in  order  to  convey  the  goods  in  some 
sort  of  safety,  add  a  good  deal  to  this  price. 

Then  at  least  one  hundred  per  cent,  must  be  added 
for  dues  levied  upon  the  road,  such  as  one  and  a  half 
thalers  demanded  by  Ras  Tassama  on  each  six  frassels 
(225  pounds)  ;  half  a  thaler  which  has  to  be  paid  at 
the  Didessa  river  to  Olde  Gorghis  for  each  mule  in  the 
caravan,  and  another  tax  of  one  thaler  for  each  loaded 
animal  levied  at  Anun  after  Gibti.  Those  three  thalers 
have  to  be  disbursed  upon  the  trail,  plus  two  thalers  for 
each  fr asset  (37  4  pounds)  to  be  paid  on  entering  Adis- 
Ababa. 

For  instance,  a  load  of  wax  which,  purchased  in  Gori, 
costs  seven  thalers,  has  already  gone  up  to  twelve  thalers 
at  Adis-Ababa,  without  counting  cost  of  conveyance. 

In  Ras  Tassama' s  country  civet  cats  are  plentiful, 
and  each  chief  is  bound  to  bring  a  male  civet  alive,  or 
in  default  pay  to  the  Ras  six  thalers. 

To  hunt  these  animals  people  go  about  in  couples 
in  the  forest  until  the  creatures  are  tracked  down.  Some 
coarse  nets  are  then  spread  and  the  animals  are  driven 
into  them.  If  females  are  captured,  the  front  paw  is 
amputated  and  the  animals  let  loose  again,  so  as  to 
save  the  trouble  of  hunting  them  again.  If,  however, 
a  male  is  caught,  it  is  placed  in  a  wooden  cyhnder  and 
brought  to  the  chief  of  the  town.  Ras  Tassama  keeps 
a  staff  of  regular  men  in  his  country  residences  to  look 


204  ACROSS  WIDEST    AFRICA 

after  these  valuable  animals.  At  Gori  and  at  Tchora, 
at  Sallearga  and  Motcha  the  Ras  has  a  great  number 
of  civet  cats.  Every  eight  days  the  perfume  is  collected 
from  the  perspiration  of  the  animals. 

The  owner  of  a  civet  is  always  a  chief,  and  no  one 
but  a  chief  is  allowed  to  possess  one  of  these  animals 
alive,  any  more  than  they  are  allowed  to  keep  in  cap- 
tivity a  lion,  a  leopard  or  a  panther.  Of  the  leopard, 
mortals  of  a  lower  social  class  can  possess  the  skin,  but 
not  that  of  a  panther  or  a  lion.  When  one  of  the  latter 
animals  is  killed,  the  skin  must  be  brought  to  the  chief, 
and  all  the  hunter  gets  for  it  is  a  shama,  as  well  as  getting 
his  forehead  smeared  with  butter  in  appreciation  of  the 
courage  shown  in  the  hunt.  The  skin  is  lent  to  him  for 
four  days,  when  he  returns  to  his  village,  and  everybody 
is  expected  to  give  him  a  present.  Then  he  must  hand 
over  the  skin  to  the  chief,  as  the  lion  and  the  panther 
are  emblems  of  nobility  or  rank  in  Abyssinia. 

It  is  curious  to  notice  that  the  wife  of  a  Ras  takes 
half  the  share  of  his  possessions,  and  she  occupies  quite 
a  high  position  in  social  life.  She  is  held  in  great 
respect  and  she  eats  with  her  husband.  Even  in  the 
case  of  the  Empress,  she  possesses  as  much  as  the  Em- 
peror, for  if  he  has  soldiers,  she  has  her  own  soldiers  ; 
he  has  slaves,  and  she  has  slaves  ;  if  he  gives  a  dinner, 
she  gives  a  dinner,  and  so  on.  Both  the  Empress  and 
the  wife  of  a  Ras  are  allowed  to  possess  land,  as  well  as 
their  own  slaves  and  soldiers,  who  work  for  them  only 
and  cannot  be  interfered  with  by  anyone. 

In  Harrar,  for  instance,  the  wife  of  Ras  Makonnen 
shared  for  some  months  of  the  year  in  the  customs 
receipts.  The  Empress  had  her  own  custom  house  in 
the  palace. 


205 


CHAPTER    XX. 

Just  before  paying  up  the  Abyssinians, who  refused  to 
come  any  further,  an  unpleasant  scene  occurred  with 
one  of  my  muleteers,  who  had  been  drinking  considerably 
in  the  town. 

A  large  crowd  of  Abyssinians  had  collected  round 
my  camp,  the  Governor  and  some  of  the  other  officials 
being  also  present.  One  of  my  men  who  was  always 
troublesome — in  fact,  he  was  one  of  those  whom  I  had 
to  punish  for  fighting  at  Addis-Jebbo^for  no  reason 
whatever  used  offensive  language  towards  white  men, 
partly  to  show  off,  I  think,  before  his  fellow-country- 
men. He  received  there  and  then  a  good  many  lashes  of 
the  courbash,  and  was  made  to  kneel  down  and  apologize 
before  everybody. 

The  Abyssinians  are  touchy  about  seeing  their  own 
people  struck  by  foreigners,  and  I  fully  expected  a  big 
row.  I,  however,  turned  at  once  to  the  Governor  and 
told  him  that  I  was  sorry  I  had  been  compelled  to  strike 
an  Abyssinian,  but  I  would  stand  insult  from  nobody, 
and  in  a  similar  case  I  would  have  struck  a  man  of  any 
other  country.  The  Governor  at  once  said  I  was  more 
than  justified  in  what  I  had  done,  only  I  had  not 
punished  the  man  enough,  and  he  would  see  that  the 
offender  should  further  suffer  for  his  misbehaviour. 


2o6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

The  other  men  in  my  employ  received  besides  their 
pay  a  handsome  present,  and  returned  towards  the 
capital. 

All  my  loads  borne  by  carriers  and  my  empty  animals 
went  ahead  in  the  morning.  In  the  afternoon  of 
March  5th,  I  took  my  departure  from  Bure,  accom- 
panied by  the  Governor  and  his  two  interpreters,  who 
insisted  on  accompanying  me,  some  two  hours'  journey, 
as  far  as  Gomma,  on  the  edge  of  the  plateau.  The 
elevation  of  Bure  was  5,650  feet. 

As  we  went  along,  Nagadras  Biru  gave  a  wonderful 
exhibition  of  accurate  spear-throwing  while  galloping  on 
his  horse. 

Upon  the  road  we  met  Alimi,  the  son  of  one  of  the 
greatest  Yambo  chiefs.     He  was  unpleasant. 

As  we  went  along,  we  obtained  a  beautiful  view  on 
our  left  of  the  Baro  valley,  with  great  cotton  plantations. 
On  the  top  of  the  hill,  before  we  began  to  descend,  we 
came  to  a  guard-house,  through  which  one  was  com- 
pelled to  pass.  In  the  grand  company  in  which  I  found 
myself  deep  bows  were  plentiful  as  we  passed,  but  I 
suspected  that  had  one  travelled  in  a  different  way 
the  same  reception  perhaps  would  not  have  been  given. 

Among  high,  thick  grass  we  began  a  descent,  but 
only  to  rise  again  to  5,900  feet,  from  where  we  obtained 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  valley  below  and  the  plateau 
and  mountains  towards  the  Kaffa  country. 

Towards  sunset  we  arrived  at  Gomma  (5,450  feet), 
where  two  sheds  had  been  erected,  quite  on  the  edge  of 
the  plateau.  Handsome  cotton  plantations  had  been 
made  by  Nagadras  Biru  at  this  place.  I  met  here 
the  German  Baron  von  der  Ropp,  who  was  studying 
the   geological   conditions   of   that  country,  mostly  for 


THE   WESTERN  ESCARPMENT  207 

mining    purposes    in    connection    with     an    important 
German  firm. 

We  had  a  pleasant  dinner-party  that  evening,  the 
Governor  and  the  Baron  being  my  guests,  and  we  had 
an  interesting  time. 

The  next  morning  the  Governor  came  to  the  edge 
of  the  chff  to  bid  me  good-bye,  and  I  began  a  steep 
and  rocky  descent  down  the  western  escarpment,  partly 
through  forest,  and  then  among  singed  leafless  trees. 
Barren,  rounded,  horrid  mountains  formed  most  of 
the  scenery.  We  came  across  several  jaga,  or  cairns 
of  white  stones,  erected  by  Galla  on  the  tops  of 
hills.  Bits  of  cotton  were  generally  attached  to  these 
cairns. 

Three  hours  and  a  half  after  leaving  Gomma  we 
reached  the  Baro  river,  at  an  elevation  of  1,900  feet, 
and  flowing  at  this  point  towards  the  north.  We  had 
difliculty  in  taking  the  mules  across,  as  there  was 
a  good  deal  of  water  in  the  stream,  and  we  could  not 
find  a  suitable  spot  to  make  them  ford.  There  was  an 
elaborate  suspension  bridge  made  of  vines  and  over 
thirty  yards  long,  but  only  foot  passengers  could 
use  it.  We  had  to  swim  our  animals  across  further  up 
stream. 

We  saw  many  Yambo,  tall  and  slender  and  abso- 
lutely naked.  Upon  their  bodies  occasional  ornamenta- 
tions were  to  be  seen,  consisting  chiefly  of  cicatrices  upon 
the  breasts.  An  ivory  ring,  either  plain  or  with 
ornamentations  of  dots  like  the  teeth  of  a  cogwheel, 
was  sometimes  worn  above  the  elbow  of  the  right  arm. 
Some  had  iron  wire  bracelets,  and  a  few  hung  large  iron 
earrings  from  both  ears.  When  walking,  these  heavy 
earrings  were  passed  over  the  ear^  so  as  to  prevent  them 


2o8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

dangling  and  injuring  the  lobe.  In  its  natural  con- 
dition the  hair  of  the  head  was  woolly  and  short,  but 
they  frequently  dyed  it.  They  had  no  hair  whatever 
on  the  face  and  body. 

Rubber  vines  were  plentiful.  Some  of  these,  two 
and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  were  not  unlike  huge 
polypi  twisting  round  trees  up  to  the  top  branches, 
from  which  they  hung  down  again,  ejecting  a  whitish 
glutinous  latex  when  an  incision  was  made.  The 
Galla  call  the  rubber  vine  areg,  and  the  Abyssinians 
mostly  used  the  word  '*  elastic,"  which  they  have 
borrowed  from  Europe. 

Further  down  the  Baro  river  we  came  to  four  Galla 
huts,  where  gold-washers  lived.  I  saw  a  number  of 
these  men  at  work  in  the  stream  with  water  up  to  their 
necks,  diving  and  taking  up  the  gravel  and  sand  from 
the  bottom  of  the  stream  in  a  large  wooden  tray.  Then 
moving  the  half-empty  tray  backwards  and  forwards 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  they  gradually  washed  off 
the  sand  and  collected  at  the  bottom  a  few  grains  of 
gold.  Over  one  ear  each  man  tied  a  small  cylindrical 
cane,  wherein  the  grains  of  gold  were  stored.  As  far 
as  I  could  judge,  a  man  working  hard  from  sunrise  to 
sunset  would,  with  luck,  collect  something  between  six- 
pence and  a  shilling's  worth  of  gold.  Perhaps  with  less 
rudimentary  methods  more  might  be  gathered. 

By  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  being  then  upon  a 
height,  we  got  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  Baro,  which  had 
cut  itself  a  wide  channel  in  a  warmly-coloured  bed 
of  volcanic  rock.  We  were  travelling  among  high 
rugged  mountains,  with  yellow  dried  grass  and  a  great 
number  of  the  stunted  arghesana,  with  leaves  of 
a    light    green   colour.     To    the    north-west    before    us 


A    YAMBO   VILLAGE  209 

was  a  high  conical  peak  peering  above  a  mountain 
range. 

We  had  to  cross  the  Baro  a  second  time  at  a  place 
where  it  was  a  hundred  yards  wide.  At  the  fording 
place  my  men  had  water  up  to  their  necks.  The  local 
chief  of  the  village  at  the  ford,  Jelo,  despatched  his 
men  to  take  over  my  animals,  and  he  sent  also  a  rickety 
canoe,  in  which  I  crossed  the  stream.  There  were 
plenty  of  hippopotami. 

We  halted  in  the  evening  at  the  Yambo  village  only 
a  short  distance  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  not 
far  from  a  two-humped  peak  to  the  north-west  of  us, 
which  had  a  conical  high  peak  to  the  right  as  we 
observed  it. 

The  huts  in  the  Yambo  village  had  sharply-pointed 
conical  roofs  reaching  down  to  the  ground.  They  were 
thatched  with  grass,  and  each  roof  was  ornamented  with 
antelope  horns.  Extra  long  antelope  horns  were  also 
placed  on  each  post  supporting  the  reed  fence  round  the 
village. 

Large  crowds  of  naked  natives  assembled  round  my 
camp,  and  squatted  down  on  their  heels,  remaining  there 
the  whole  evening.  Many  of  them  were  ornamented 
with  blue  and  white  beads  round  the  neck.  Others 
possessed  coarsely-made  wooden  beads.  Their  faces 
were  flattened,  with  the  central  part  of  the  nose 
much  developed,  and  the  supra-orbital  central  bumps 
abnormally  so.  The  broadest  part  of  the  Yambo  head 
is  at  the  cheek-bones,  which  are  prominent,  the  skull 
being  much  elongated  upwards  at  the  forehead. 

These  Yambos  seemed  inveterate  smokers,  their 
pipes  being  built  on  quite  scientific  lines,  with  a  bulb 
either  at  the  mouthpiece  in  the  long  straight  pipes,  or 
VOL.  I.  14 


2IO  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

with  a  gourd  sphere  at  the  angle  between  the  bowl  and 
the  long  cane  mouth  channel,  the  object  of  this  hollow 
spherical  arrangement  being  to  cool  the  smoke  coming 
into  the  mouth. 

Yambo  huts  were  particularly  interesting.  Few  of 
them  were  higher  than  seven  feet,  with  low  doors. 
These  otto,  as  they  called  them,  were  beautifully  con- 
structed, and  in  the  interior  upon  a  hard  cement  floor 
were  two  depressions,  in  which  the  food  was  prepared, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  hut.  Each  kahly  or  enclosure, 
was  some  twenty  feet  across,  and  was  entirely  paved  with 
the  same  cement  which  was  used  inside  the  huts,  and 
which  was  prepared  with  a  particular  clay,  mixed  with 
ashes  of  selected  woods  and  a  certain  animal  liquid. 
This  preparation  became  extraordinarily  hard  when 
baked  by  the  sun  and  took  a  beautiful  polish.  The 
pavement  of  the  kahl  was  at  a  slant  for  drainage  purposes. 
Outside  and  all  round  each  hut  was  a  platform  three  or 
four  inches  higher  than  the  rest  of  the  paving,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  water  coming  inside  the  huts. 

Central  Africa  is  certainly  not  a  place  where  one 
looks  for  art.  It  is  seldom  that  one  notices  even  rudi- 
mentary designs  upon  structures,  on  weapons  or  imple- 
ments, so  I  was  rather  surprised  to  find  on  these  raised 
platforms  and  around  the  two  depressions  inside  the  hut 
some  regularly  designed,  waved  patterns,  generally  of 
three  parallel  lines. 

The  Yambo  had  not  many  articles  of  furniture,  a 
small  tripod  carved  out  of  one  solid  piece  of  wood  being 
the  most  noticeable. 

The  people  seemed  fond  of  ornaments.  Nearly  each 
man  had  an  amulet  hanging  from  a  necklace.  The 
thumb,    and   also   the   first   finger,   were   inserted   into 


THE   YAMBO  211 

silver  rings,  but  the  armlets  were  generally  cut  in  ivory. 
They  were  worn  both  round  the  wrist  and  above  the 
elbow.  More  modest  people  showed  tight  bands  of 
a  fibrous  leaf  on  the  upper  portion  of  the  arm  and  also 
on  the  ankles. 

The  formation  of  the  skull  of  these  Yambo  was 
interesting.  It  showed  several  characteristic  influences 
of  the  races  to  the  west.  The  cheek-bones  were  not 
only  well  developed,  but  they  were  so  padded  that  they 
had  the  appearance  of  being  swollen.  Although  the 
lips  were  large  and  prominent,  they  were  in  their  normal 
condition  tightly  closed,  a  fact  which  was  partly  due 
to  the  Yambo  removing  the  four  front  teeth  as  a  tribal 
mark.     The  chin  protruded  considerably. 

When  you  ask  the  Yambo,  or  any  other  race  in 
Africa,  why  they  remove  one  or  more  front  teeth,  they 
generally  tell  you  that  it  is  done  for  beauty's  sake,  or 
to  be  distinguished  from  one  tribe  or  the  other.  This  is 
perhaps  true  to  a  certain  point,  but  I  think  the  custom 
originated,  especially  in  cases  when  all  the  front  teeth 
are  removed,  from  the  natural  advantage  of  being  able 
to  close  the  lips  tightly  and  breathe  through  the  nose 
in  countries  where  the  climate  and  other  local  con- 
ditions make  it  imperative  to  keep  the  lips  closed  as 
tightly  as  possible  in  order  to  avoid  fever.  At  sunset 
and  at  sunrise  particularly  this  is  necessary  in  the 
countries  liable  to  malarial  fever  where  these  tribes  live, 
as  it  is  at  that  time  of  the  morning  and  evening  that 
malarial  fever  is  contracted  by  breathing  certain  germs 
which  do  not  seem  to  poison  the  air  so  much  either  during 
the  cooler  hours  of  the  night  or  when  the  sun  is  high  in 
the  sky. 

I  have  been  a  great  deal  in  countries  where  malarial 
VOL.  I.  14* 


212  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

fever  is  rampant,  and  I  am  not  at  all  convinced  by  the 
mosquito  theory.  The  older  theory  of  the  Romans  was 
certainly  the  more  accurate  one  ;  but  it  should  be  added 
that  food,  especially  vegetables,  polluted  water  and  milk 
are  also  mediums  through  which  malarial  fever  is  fre- 
quently conveyed. 

Experiments  have  been  made,  the  results  of  which 
are  said  to  prove  that  by  drying  up  marshes  and  swamps, 
and  thereby  preventing  the  reproduction  of  mosquitoes 
in  a  country,  fever  can  be  stamped  out.  That  is  quite  so. 
Only  it  is  not  the  mosquitoes  which  necessarily  give  or 
convey  the  fever,  but  it  is  the  country  in  which  the 
mosquitoes  live  which  is  in  itself  deadly  to  some  human 
beings. 

I  think  no  clearer  proof  can  be  given  than  the  fact 
that  when  mosquitoes  sting  you  all  over  in  a  non- 
malarial  country  nobody  ever  gets  fever  at  all.  Again, 
when  the  blood  is  in  a  healthy  condition,  even  in  malarial 
countries,  one  can  be  covered  with  mosquito  stings  and 
yet  not  feel  any  ill  effects  from  them.  Personally,  I 
have  been  stung  thousands  of  times  by  mosquitoes  in 
malarial  countries,  and  did  not  suffer  from  malarial 
fever  to  any  mentionable  extent,  although  I  took  no 
preventatives,  such  as  quinine,  etc.  ;  but  the  only  place 
where  I  did  suffer  from  bad  fever  was  in  the  Persian 
desert  some  years  ago,  where  I  did  not  see  a  single 
mosquito  for  many  months. 

Again,  on  this  journey,  as  we  shall  see  later  on,  I  will 
give  several  instances  when  people  got  malarial  and 
yellow  fever  where  no  mosquitoes  were  to  be  found 
at  all. 

I  happen  to  possess  abnormally  acute  senses,  and  I 
have   always   noticed  the  immediate  poisonous   effects 


MALARIAL   CLIMATES  213 

as  one  breathed  contaminated  air.  This  I  particularly 
noticed  at  sunrise  and  at  sunset,  when  rapid  changes  in 
the  temperature  occurred.  The  foul  air  seemed  to  act 
quickly  on  the  respiratory  and  principally  upon  the 
digestive  organs,  causing  sometimes  the  temperature  of 
the  body  to  rise.  Not  only  in  my  own  case,  but  with 
my  men  also,  in  fact,  I  found  that  the  quickest  and 
safest  cure  for  malarial  fever  was  not  quinine,  as  is 
popularly  believed,  which  really  does  more  harm  than 
good  to  many  people,  but  a  strong  purge,  castor  oil 
by    preference. 


214 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Yambo  must  be  the  offshoots  of  a  formerly  potent 
race.  Let  us  examine  their  physical  structure. 
Although  the  skull  is  low  and  flattened,  we  find,  for 
instance,  that  for  a  black  Central  African  race  the  ears 
are  comparatively  well  formed,  with  finely-cut  curves 
and  with  lobes  generally  attached.  Often,  of  course,  the 
ears  are  artificially  deformed  by  several  holes  right  up 
to  the  top,  silver  earrings,  or  else  rings  made  of  monkey 
or  antelope  hair,  being  inserted  into  the  holes.  Both 
men  and  women  have  small,  under-developed  skulls, 
the  forehead  being  low  and  narrow  and  the  central  and 
lower  portions  of  the  face  broad  in  proportion.  I 
could  not  trace  much  beauty  or  grace  of  line  in  the 
women.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  ugly,  and  even  at 
a  comparatively  early  age  had  dried  pendent  breasts. 
Nearly  all  had  big  repulsive  paunches  swinging  before 
them  as  they  walked,  like  the  women  we  had  seen 
further  up  on  the  Abyssinian  plateau.  The  hands, 
nevertheless,  were  fairly  good,  with  elongated,  almost 
refined,  fimgers,  which  showed  that  these  people  had 
degenerated  from  a  stock  vastly  superior  to  their  present 
condition. 

I  was  delayed  in  this  village.  My  carriers  took  a  long 
time  to  arrive  with  the  loads,  and  it  was  not  till  ten 
o'clock  that  I  eventually  departed  through  lots  of  small 
Yambo   villages.     The   kahls    (or    kraals)    were    about 


>  4^  ■ 


GAMBELA  215 

fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  and  had  beautifully-polished 
cement  floors. 

We  were  now  at  an  elevation  of  only  1,610  feet.  The 
heat  was  stifling.  The  temperature  in  the  shade  rose 
to  108°  Fahrenheit  (42°  Centigrade).  During  the  night 
it  had  been  extremely  windy,  with  heavy  clouds  over- 
head and  quite  suffocating. 

A  hot  march  was  before  us  along  the  flat,  grassy, 
uninteresting  country,  and  not  till  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  did  we  arrive  at  the  trading  station  of  Gambela, 
opened  some  two  years  before  by  the  Anglo-Egyptian 
Sudan  Government  jointly  with  the  Abyssinians. 

This  portion  of  the  country  for  a  few  hundred  miles 
further  west  actually  belongs  to  Abyssinia,  but  the 
Abyssinians  themselves  never  come  down  from  their 
plateau,  as  they  are  too  afraid  of  malarial  fever,  which  is 
quite  deadly  in  that  region. 

Gambela  itself  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Baro,  and  it  is  the  last  point  upon  the  river  at  which 
the  small  steamers  occasionally  despatched  from  Khar- 
toum can  float  at  high  water.  There  are  heavy  rains 
from  May  ist  until  November  ist,  and  sometimes  during 
February  there  is  what  they  call  "  the  small  rainy 
season,"  when  heavy  showers  are  expected  and  the 
river  may  suddenly  rise  as  much  as  three  feet.  But  it 
quickly  falls  again,  so  that  it  is  only  during  the  rainy 
and  unhealthy  season  that  the  river  is  safely  navigable 
at  all.  From  January  to  June  the  country  about 
Gambela  is  sUghtly  healthier  than  during  the  rains, 
and  the  warmest  months  are  February  and  March. 

There  are  innumerable  crocodiles  in  the  stream  and 
many  hippopotami,  while  the  banks  are  lined  with  birds 
of  valuable  plumage, 


2i6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

We  were  here  in  a  country  extraordinarily  rich  in 
game — elephants,  giraffes,  lions,  leopards,  ostriches, 
hyenas  and  antelopes  being  quite  plentiful. 

In  some  ways  Gambela  was  conveniently  situated 
within  easy  reach  of  the  richest  parts  of  Abyssinia.  All 
the  merchandize  which  formerly  went  from  the  west  to 
Harrar,  especially  the  coffee,  ought  eventually  to  find 
its  way  out  of  the  country  through  Gambela.  Then 
ivory,  which  is  fairly  plentiful  in  that  region,  may  form 
a  considerable  item  in  the  exports.  Before  the  founda- 
tion of  Gambela,  a  trading  station  had  been  established 
at  Itang,  and  another  earlier  still  at  Kaig,  a  few  miles 
further  down  the  stream.  These  places  were  abandoned 
when  Gambela  was  selected  by  Major  Mathews  and 
Captain  Wilson  as  a  more  suitable  site.  The  trading 
station  of  Gambela  was  founded  on  January  ist,  1904. 

The  entire  trade  of  Sayo  and  Bure  should  drift  this 
way  from  the  north  and  north-east,  where  rubber  is 
plentiful,  and  also  that  from.  Salle,  Motcha  and  Kaffa, 
to  the  south  and  south-east,  where  coffee  of  most  ex- 
cellent quality  can  be  obtained,  as  well  as  wax,  rubber 
and  civet.  In  1906,  when  I  passed  through  Gambela, 
the  Abyssinians  had  begun  for  the  first  time  to  send 
these  goods  towards  the  west  instead  of  towards 
the  east.  It  was  satisfactory  to  learn  that  as  regards 
the  collecting  of  rubber,  the  natives  were  beginning 
to  adopt  more  practical  ways,  and  to  tap  the  rubber 
vines,  instead  of  destroying  them  wholesale  as  they 
had  done  so  far. 

As  far  as  the  Gori  and  Bure  trade  are  concerned, 
it  would  perhaps  be  better  were  Gambela  situated  on 
the  opposite  of  the  stream  (south).  As  things  are  now, 
the  Baro,  which  makes  a  great  detour,  has  to  be  crossed 


NAVIGATION   OF   THE   SOBAT  217 

twice,  and  with  diificulty,  between  Gambela  and  Bure. 
This  puts  a  difficulty  in  the  way  of  conveying  goods  by 
this  route  from  Eastern  Abyssinia,  as  well  as  from  the 
rich  districts  of  Salle,  Abigar,  the  Djouba  country,  and 
Yebelo,  near  the  Pibor  ;  but,  of  course,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  situation  is  convenient  for  the  Sayo,  Galla,  and  for 
the  Anfillo,  who  are  on  the  same  side  of  the  stream.  Two 
bridges  at  the  points  where,  under  present  conditions, 
the  Baro  has  to  be  forded,  would  be  of  great  assistance, 
and  would  make  the  present  route  quite  practicable. 

As  things  stand  now,  during  the  rainy  season,  when 
the  steamers  can  occasionally  come  up  to  Gambela,  it 
is  next  to  impossible  for  the  goods  to  proceed  up 
country.  The  danger  of  crossing  the  river  twice  when 
it  is  swollen,  in  order  to  reach  Bure,  the  bad  state  of 
the  trail,  and  the  heavy  rains  make  it  difficult  to  convey 
the  goods  to  that  place  in  fair  condition.  It  would, 
therefore,  be  necessary  to  have  sheds  at  Gambela,  where 
goods  could  be  stored  until  the  more  propitious  dry 
season  arrived. 

Then  another  difficulty  arises.  When  the  trail 
between  Gambela  and  Bure  is  practicable  (during  the 
dry  season),  there  is  not  sufficient  water  for  the  steamers 
to  come  up  to  Gambela,  and  it  is  necessary  to  store  the 
goods  in  Khartoum  while  they  are  waiting  for  the  high 
flood  to  allow  the  navigation  of  the  Sobat.  So  that  the 
cost  of  warehousing  must  necessarily  be  added  to  other 
heavy  expenses,  and  profits  are  proportionately  dimi- 
nished. Still,  all  this  could  easily  be  altered,  or,  at 
least,  greatly  modified. 

The  steamers  which  occasionally  plied  to  Gambela 
were  not  by  any  means  record-breaking  vessels — except 
perhaps  for  slowness — and  ran  at  the  rate  of  something 


2i8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

like  three  miles  an  hour  when  they  ran  at  all.  So  it  was 
really  quicker  to  walk.  Frequent  stoppages  had  to  be 
made  to  collect  wood  for  the  engines,  and  as  wood  was 
scarce  along  the  Baro  it  was  sometimes  imperative  to 
stop  entire  days  in  order  to  cut  down  sufficient  fuel  to 
get  along.  An  attempt  was  made  to  endeavour  to 
compel  the  tribes  to  pile  up  enough  wood  upon  the 
river  banks  at  certain  spots,  so  as  to  avoid  such  delays, 
but  all  traders  complained  that  the  navigation  of  that 
river  had  so  far  been  of  little  value  commercially. 

There  was  another  more  serious  difficulty.  An 
arrangement  had  been  made  between  the  Sudan 
Government  and  Ras  Tassama,  by  which  half  the 
amount  of  trade  dues  received  at  Gambela  for  imports 
and  exports,  at  the  rate  of  nine  per  cent,  on  the  "local 
selling  price,"  was  to  be  paid  over  to  the  Abyssinian  Ras. 
During  the  twelve  months  previous  to  my  visit  they 
expected  some  £11,500  to  be  the  share  due  to  the  Ras. 

This  tax  came  extremely  heavy,  especially  on  foreign 
imports,  when  all  things  were  taken  into  consideration. 
If  you  add  to  the  tax  the  damage  done  to  goods  in 
transit,  porterage,  warehousing,  a  heavy  freight  of 
twenty-five  piastres  per  kantar  (one  hundred  pounds) 
charged  by  the  steamers  from  Khartoum  to  Gambela, 
etc.,  the  extra  expenses  may  be  reckoned  at  not  less  than 
forty  per  cent,  on  the  "  trade  price  "  of  cotton  goods, 
about  thirty  per  cent,  on  that  of  abukidir,  and  about 
twenty-five  per  cent,  upon  glassware,  according  to  their 
weight,  market  value  and  volume.  The  deadly  climate 
of  Gambela,  too,  must  be  taken  into  account,  where  even 
such  people  as  Greeks,  Armenians,  Syrians  and  Egyp- 
tians, whose  powers  of  resistance  to  malaria  are  great, 
are  unable  to  live,  and  where  high  wages  have  to  be  paid 


COMMERCE    HANDICAPPED  219 

to  employees.  Commerce  so  handicapped  becomes 
prohibitive,  although  in  Government  statistics  the 
returns  may  look  extremely  well.  One  has  heard  before 
of  killing  the  proverbial  goose  which  lays  the  golden  egg, 
and  that  seems  to  be  just  what  was  happening  at  Gambela 
when  I  was  there. 

Practically  all  the  trade  of  Western  Abyssinia  ought 
to  come  this  way  if  things  were  made  possible  for  traders, 
but  the  few  who  have  attempted  to  do  anything  seemed 
to  have  little  hope  unless  conditions  changed  for  the 
better. 

The  receipts  for  trade  dues  in  the  year  1904  were  only 
£1,000,  but  in  1905  they  suddenly  sprang  to  ;f  10,000,  the 
increase  being  mostly  on  imports,  as  the  Abyssinians, 
so  far,  buy  more  than  they  sell. 

I  think  that  in  order  to  develop  this  route  quickly 
and  satisfactorily,  Gambela  ought  to  be  a  free  trading 
station  until  people  have  become  accustomed  to 
possessions,  for  the  convenience  of  having  which  they 
would  be  eventually  willing  to  pay  a  moderate  tax. 
To  establish  a  new  trade  route  whose  possibilities  are 
at  best  but  mediocre  is  hardly  feasible  under  conditions 
so  hampering. 

There  was  an  Egyptian  official  at  Gambela,  a  mamur, 
called  Mohammed  Riad  Effendi,  an  intelligent  and 
pleasant  man.  He  did  all  in  his  power  to  forward  the 
interests  of  his  Government  and,  as  far  as  his  orders 
allowed,  to  help  the  traders.  He  resided  in  a  humble 
house  by  the  river  and  his  ten  Sudanese  policemen  in 
another  ;  but  as  this  country  was  Abyssinian,  and  was 
merely  managed  by  the  Anglo-Egyptian  Government, 
nobody  seemed  to  have  any  absolute  authority  over 
the  troublesome  and  unreliable  natives  of  the  district. 


220  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Riad  Effendi's  patience  and  tact  with  the  natives  and 
the  traders  were  indeed  wonderful.  No  better  officer 
could  have  been  selected  for  that  post. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit,  during  the  dry  season  in 
March,  there  were  only  three  or  four  Greeks  in  the  place, 
all  ill  with  fever.  They  were  connected  with  the  Kor- 
dofan  Trading  Company  ;  with  Angelo  Capato,  an 
enterprising  Greek  of  Khartoum,  and  Tanios  Saad,  also 
of  Khartoum.  These  people  had  themselves  constructed 
three  rickety  sheds  in  a  zeriha  (or  fenced  enclosure),  and 
in  these  they  kept  their  goods,  mostly  cottons,  silks, 
enamelled  ware,  and  beads,  wire,  spearheads,  etc.,  for 
purposes  of  barter.  They  traded  chiefly  with  Sayo, 
Bure,  Godjam,  Walaga,  Lega  and  Leka,  Gouma  and 
Kaffa.  They  seemed  to  think  that  the  trade  from  the 
rich  districts  of  Gouma  and  Kaffa  had  not  properly 
started  yet,  and  they  had  great  expectations  for  the 
future  if  matters  were  facilitated.  For  the  present  their 
principal  profits  came  from  the  north-east. 

Godjam,  Lega  and  Leka  were  as  far  north  as  the 
trade  went  in  those  days,  and  from  those  countries  it 
was  somewhat  easier  to  bring  the  goods  down  to  Gambela 
upon  animals,  whereas  from  Bure  it  was  necessary  to 
have  them  conveyed  entirely  by  human  carriers. 

It  is  not  for  me  to  express  an  opinion  on  the  advisa- 
bility of  giving  the  monopoly  for  rubber,  coffee  or 
ivory  to  certain  companies.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  a 
company  had  the  monopoly  of  all  the  rubber,  and  Ras 
Tassama  of  all  the  ivory.  There  was  a  talk  of  someone 
else  obtaining  a  concession  for  all  the  coffee.  That  makes 
it  difficult  for  other  people  to  compete,  and  it  is  only 
when  there  can  be  plenty  of  competition  that  trade 
advances  in  huge  strides, 


GIANTS  221 

Gambela,  if  things  were  managed  rightly — as  in  due 
time  they  will  be — would  shortly  become  a  big  store  for 
imports  and  exports,  and  would  be  the  distributing 
centre  for  all  the  neighbouring  countries. 

The  Abyssinian  traders  have  an  unbounded  trust  in 
the  Sudan  officers,  as  these  are  extremely  conscientious 
with  them.  The  Abyssinians,  the  mamur  was  telling  me, 
always  come  to  him  to  inquire  the  price  of  their  own 
goods,  as  they  tell  him  that  they  themselves  do  not  know 
the  exact  value,  and  they  beg  him  to  establish  a  proper 
price,  and,  if  possible,  sell  the  merchandise  for  them. 

The  Yambo,  too,  the  local  inhabitants,  seem  much 
pleased  with,  but  not  very  obedient  towards,  the  Sudan 
officer.  It  cannot  be  imagined  how  kind  and  considerate 
this  Egyptian  was  towards  them.  The  chiefs  of  neigh- 
bouring tribes  often  came  in  while  I  was  being  hospitably 
entertained  by  the  mamur,  and  he  was  indeed  most 
patient  with  them. 

These  Yambo,  although  giants  in  stature,  possess  as 
much  brain,  or  possibly  less,  than  an  average  three- 
year-old  child  of  any  European  country.  They  are 
capricious  to  a  degree,  independent,  with  an  extraor- 
dinarily developed  habit  of  nagging  ;  sulky  at  intervals, 
and  suspicious  at  all  times.  Grasping  by  nature,  they 
are  quite  unpleasant  if  they  are  not  at  once  satisfied  in 
their  fancies. 

Oghilo,  the  chief  of  Pinkio,  a  neighbouring  village, 
often  came  in  to  spend  hours  with  the  mamur.  He  was 
over  six  feet  four  inches  in  height,  and  his  brother  was 
just  as  tall.  There  were  many  members  of  his  tribe 
who  reached  a  similar  height.  In  fact,  most  of  them 
were  about  six  or  more  than  six  feet  high.  With  no 
superabundance   of   flesh   and  well   proportioned,   with 


222  ACROSS  WIDEST  AFRICA 

small  heads,  long  legs,  and  perfectly  naked,  these  men 
looked  even  taller  than  they  were.  They  were  indeed 
a  race  of  giants,  and  they  believed  that  in  former  days 
their  ancestors  were  even  taller  than  the  people  of  the 
present  day. 

Oghilo  himself  was  a  great  nuisance,  as  he  had  taken 
a  fancy  to  a  large  mule-bell  which  was  strung  to  the 
neck  of  my  leading  mule.  For  some  hours  he  begged 
and  entreated  me  to  give  him  the  bell,  and  as  I  could 
not  spare  it,  he  went  on  worrying  me  until  I  had  to  drive 
him  away,  promising  that  I  would  send  him  the  bell 
when  I  had  finished  with  it  on  reaching  the  Nile.  He 
went  away  dissatisfied.  The  next  morning  the  bell 
was  missing.  Happening  to  visit  a  village  near  by, 
I  chanced  to  hear  the  familiar  sound  of  my  bell,  and 
who  should  I  see  but  my  friend  the  giant  Oghilo  parading 
about  absolutely  naked  among  admiring  natives,  and 
with  my  bell  attached  to  one  part  of  his  anatomy  where 
no  one  but  a  Yambo  would  think  of  attaching  anything. 

Oghilo  was  a  most  unscrupulous  scoundrel.  He 
promised  that  in  the  afternoon  I  should  get  some  thirty 
of  his  villagers  to  convey  my  loads  for  two  or  three  days 
westwards  towards  Taufikia  ;  but  when  the  hour  came, 
not  only  could  Oghilo  not  be  found  again,  but  all  his 
men  had  disappeared,  and  no  trace  could  be  discovered 
of  them. 

I  visited  a  good  many  of  their  tribes,  as  I  did  not 
travel  by  the  river,  but  proceeded  to  march  with  my 
mules  and  a  number  of  extra  men,  when  obtainable,  as 
far  as  the  Nile. 

I  met  many  of  these  Yambo,  and  learned  some  of 
their  customs,  which  were  peculiar.  For  instance,  mice 
and    rats   were  what   they   relished  most   in    the    way 


POLYGAMY  223 

of  food,  but  they  would  not  on  any  account  eat 
crocodile  meat,  as  my  Abyssinians  did.  They  were 
fond  of  hippopotamus  meat  when  they  could  get  it. 
They  prepared  themselves  an  intoxicating  drink  with 
Indian  corn.  When  drunk,  as  they  frequently  were, 
they  were  disagreeable  and  troublesome. 

It  was  interesting  to  see  them  in  their  hunts  of  wild 
animals.  The  entire  village — men,  women  and  children — 
turned  out  with  their  spears  and  javelins.  The  head  of 
the  javelins  was  made  with  the  tibia  of  a  giraffe, brought 
to  a  sharp  point,  and  the  rod  was  adorned  with  ostrich 
feathers  at  the  other  end.  These  throwing  weapons 
were  about  six  feet  long. 

I  asked  a  Yambo  one  day  how  many  wives  he  was 
allowed  to  marry.  He  put  up  his  hand  and  let  down  one 
finger  at  a  time,  then  the  thumb,  and  then  began  with 
the  fingers  of  the  other  hand,  which  I  took  to  indicate  un- 
mistakably to  be  that  not  only  bigamy,  but  polygamy 
on  no  small  scale,  existed  among  the  Yambo.  Not  all, 
of  course,  have  so  many  wives  ;  one,  two,  or  at  the  most, 
four,  being  quite  as  many  as  most  men  can  afford. 
They  always  marry  in  their  own  tribe,  and  rarely 
take  wives  even  from  a  neighbouring  tribe  of  Yambo. 
When  the  husband  dies  the  eldest  son  becomes  the  hus- 
band of  his  father's  wives,  even  of  his  own  mother, 
which  seems  rather  a  disgusting  state  of  affairs,  and 
shows  how  low  these  people  are  in  the  human  scale. 

A  girl  can  love  any  man,  and  it  is  only  when  an 
irregular  birth  occurs  that  she  is  taken  to  task  and  is 
compelled  to  declare  who  the  father  of  the  child  is. 
The  parents,  armed  with  their  spears  and  accompanied 
by  friends,  go  to  the  responsible  young  man's  village 
and  pillage  whatever  there  may  be  in  his  hut,  besides 


224  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

appropriating  all  his  cattle.  If  he  should  refuse  to 
marry  the  girl,  all  his  property  is  taken  away  from  him, 
but  if  he  can  be  induced  to  marry  her,  he  only  pays  the 
usual  ransom  of  one  or  more  cows  and  sheep,  according 
to  his  wealth. 

As  compared  with  the  dances  of  Asia,  I  never  saw 
among  any  of  the  tribes  of  Central  Africa  dances  of  any 
originality  or  grace.  The  Yambo,  like  all  negroes, 
dance  a  great  deal  at  their  festivals,  the  men  and  women 
often  joining  in  these  dances  ;  the  men  opposite  the 
women,  who  sing  and  clap  their  hands,  while  the  men 
jump  and  hop  about  lightly  with  knees  slightly  bent. 
The  tam-tam  is  not  beaten  with  the  hand  but  with  two 
sticks,  and  as  these  people  do  nothing  but  play  on  the 
tam-tam  all  day  and  all  night,  they  eventually  become 
skilful  at  it. 

The  chiefs  do  not  remove  their  front  teeth,  but  all 
the  others,  both  men  and  women,  do.  In  their  par- 
ticular case,  they  profess  that  it  is  done  in  order  to 
facilitate  speech,  as  their  teeth  grow  quickly  at  a 
peculiar  angle,  which  makes  it  uncomfortable  for  them 
to  close  the  mouth  absolutely  until  the  teeth  are  re- 
moved. Although  this  is  the  reason  they  themselves 
give,  I  think  that  their  speech  is  only  affected  because 
their  respiratory  organs  do  not  work  as  they  should  when 
the  hot,  fetid  air  of  their  region  is  inhaled  in  large  quan- 
tities through  the  mouth,  a  fact  which  might  certainly 
affect  their  speech  also. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Yambo  who  inhabit  a 
region  unmistakably  deadly  for  all  other  people,  as  well 
as  for  tame  animals  brought  there,  are  not  themselves 
affected  by  malarial  fever,  notwithstanding  that  they 
are  simply  devoured  by  mosquitoes. 


LOVE-SCRATCHES  225 

The  Yambo  women  are  prolific,  but  the  children  are 
not  always  as  healthy  as  they  might  be,  owing  to 
complaints  of  the  blood  of  the  worst  possible  kind, 
including  leprosy,  being  rampant. 

The  women  think  they  embellish  themselves  by 
making  large  cicatrices  on  the  middle  portion  of  the  body, 
while  the  men  indulge  in  similar  incisions  on  the  arms 
and  chest.  Usually  these  take  the  form  of  elongated 
lines  or  dots.  Most  common  of  all  are  the  four  incisions 
on  each  shoulder.  These  incisions  are  emblematic,  and 
they  are  supposed  to  have  been  caused  in  spasms  of 
passion  by  their  lady  loves  ;  others  upon  the  body  are 
attributed  to  a  similar  origin.  The  Yambo  seem  very 
proud  of  these  scratches.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  although 
few  Yambo  will  confess  it,  these  cicatrices  are  only  made 
with  the  point  of  a  knife  or  a  spear  when  nobody  is 
looking,  either  by  a  confidential  member  of  the  family, 
or  even  by  a  special  professional  man,  like  the  tachmish^ 
who  is  found  in  many  parts  of  the  Sudan,  where  this 
sort  of  ornamentation  in  various  forms  is  deemed 
attractive.  I  have  seen  men  whose  arms  were  literally 
covered  with  these  sets  of  scratches,  arranged  with 
wonderful  regularity  upon  the  arm  considering  the 
narratives  they  wanted  us  to  believe. 

It  is  curious  to  note  that  while  such  semi-civilized 
people  as  the  Abyssinians  think  nothing  of  selling  their 
children  for  a  consideration,  the  Yambo,  who  are  abso- 
lute savages,  are  most  kind  and  affectionate  to  their 
young,  and  would  rather  be  killed  than  part  with 
them. 

The  Yambo  are  extremely  clean,  not  only  in  their 
huts,  but  in  their  persons  as  well  as  their  food.  A  few 
Yambo  from  Gambela,  who  had  obtained  cloth  from 
VOL.  I.  15 


226  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

the  traders,  draped  the  body  shghtly,  and  not  always 
in  the  right  place,  but  most  of  them,  in  fact  nearly  all, 
went  absolutely  naked. 

Yambo  are  quarrelsome,  and  consequently  cannot  help 
being  at  enmity  with  neighbouring  tribes.  Although 
aggressive  towards  persons  weaker  than  themselves,  these 
overgrown  people  are  in  reality  cowardly  and  weak. 

In  visiting  some  of  their  kahls,  I  found  that  the 
dead  were  buried  in  the  centre  of  the  enclosure.  The 
raised  portion  marking  the  grave  was  then  plastered 
over  with  the  beautiful  hardened  cement  of  their  own 
manufacture. 

Before  I  started  from  Gambela,  Shamo,  the  chief  of 
the  village  where  we  forded  the  River  Baro,  who  was 
absent  hunting  when  I  passed,  came  in  with  many  of 
his  followers  to  pay  his  respects.  The  young  chief  wore 
a  red  handkerchief  festooned  around  his  head  and  a  felt 
hat  upon  it.  Over  a  brightly-coloured  sash  around  his 
waist  was  a  cartridge  belt  with  empty  cartridge-cases, 
and  all  this  finery  was  worn  over  a  variegated  shirt. 
His  legs  were  bare.  Two  large  mule-bells  were  attached 
to  his  right  ankle,  and  one  to  the  left  ankle.  Tinkling 
these  bells,  he  walked  solemnly  in  stately  grandeur, 
followed  by  one  rifleman  with  a  long  ostrich  feather 
stuck  in  the  muzzle  of  his  weapon.  Behind  these  two 
central  figures  came  a  lot  of  spearmen,  with  heads  dyed 
of  all  colours. 

The  chief  had  heard  that  Oghilo  was  now  in 
possession  of  a  mule-bell,  and  evidently  he  had  come  to 
show  that  he  possessed  three.  The  MacMillan  expedi- 
tion had  passed  this  way  the  year  before,  and  no 
doubt  the  bells  were  obtained  in  the  same  manner  to 
Oghilo's.      He    certainly    impressed    the    natives    very 


GENERAL  GATACRE'S  GRAVE        227 

much.  They  gazed  open-mouthed  at  his  adorned  feet. 
A  number  of  the  men  who  came  in  wore  as  many  as 
six  earrings  of  beads  attached  to  each  ear,  each  one,  as 
we  have  seen,  in  a  separate  hole  all  the  way  up  the  curve 
of  the  ear. 

We  did  not  go  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous  in 
the  proverbial  way,  but  instead  from  the  ridiculous  to 
the  melancholy,  when  the  mamur  and  I  went  to  take  a 
photograph  of  General  Gatacre's  grave.  Whether  it 
was  that  in  countries  where  one  does  not  see  many  white 
people  one  feels  things  more  keenly  than  when  you  live 
among  them,  it  gave  me  quite  a  serrement  de  coeur 
when  the  tragic  death  of  this  brave,  if  not  always 
successful,  officer  was  narrated  to  me. 

Behind  the  humble  bazaar  and  among  a  lot  of  untidy 
shrubs  the  unfortunate  general  was  hastily  buried  in 
the  middle  of  the  night.  The  few  sick  Greeks  and  the 
mamur  present  had  to  keep  some  distance  away,  as 
the  body  was  in  a  state  of  decomposition  and  falling 
to  pieces  when  it  was  brought  to  the  grave. 

The  poor  man  had  died  alone  and  unattended  under 
a  big  tree  at  a  place  called  Ideni,  further  down  the 
river,  unable  to  understand  or  to  make  himself  under- 
stood by  the  natives.  On  landing  from  a  boat  near 
Ideni,  he  had  proceeded  to  walk  on  foot  without  comforts 
of  any  kind  towards  Gambela,  but  a  violent  attack  of 
fever  had  seized  him,  and  he  had  to  find  temporary 
shelter  under  a  solitary  tree.  He  had  despatched  his 
Indian  servants  to  Gambela,  a  journey  which  would 
occupy  them  two  or  three  days,  but  unfortunately  a  few 
hours  were  enough  to  kill  him. 

The  Yambo  who  had  been  watching  him  came  to  the 
tree  when  the  General  had  collapsed,  and,  finding  life 
VOL.  I.  15* 


228  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

extinct,  for  fear  of  being  accused  of  murder,  took  the 
body  in  a  canoe  up  to  Gambela,  where,  owing  to  the 
intense  heat,  it  arrived  a  couple  of  days  later  in  a  state 
of  decomposition. 

The  grave  of  this  well-known  English  general  con- 
sisted of  an  improvised  cross  made  with  two  boards  of 
a  broken  kerosene  box  nailed  upon  a  stick  ;  that  was  the 
only  wood  that  could  be  obtained,  A  lot  of  thorns  had 
been  piled  upon  the  heap  of  earth  covering  the  body, 
in  order  to  prevent  hyenas  and  other  wild  animals 
digging  up  the  body.     Poor  General  Gatacre  ! 


229 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

I  INTENDED  Sparing  my  mules  as  much  as  possible,  and 
endeavoured  to  obtain  carriers  at  Gambela.  The  mamur 
was  obliging,  and  went  to  no  end  of  trouble  to  procure 
men  for  me,  but  notwithstanding  the  promises  of  the 
various  chiefs,  no  porters  were  forthcoming.  One  day 
was  absolutely  wasted  waiting  for  these  fellows.  Police- 
men were  despatched  in  all  directions  to  induce  men 
to  come  in. 

Eventually,  at  noon  on  March  loth,  a  number  of 
Yambo  were  brought  up,  and  I  was  able  to  start  on  the 
long  march  towards  the  Nile.  It  was  my  intention  to 
visit  many  of  the  interesting  tribes  on  the  north,  and 
especially  on  the  south,  of  the  Sobat  river.  I  should 
have  to  make  great  detours  in  order  to  see  them.  This 
would  involve  hard  work,  as  most  of  this  country  during 
the  rainy  season  was  an  absolute  swamp.  During  the  dry 
season — in  which  I  was  travelling — the  mud  became 
hardened,  but  was  most  uneven  from  innumerable  deep 
footmarks  of  elephants,  giraffes  and  other  animals,  and 
from  wide  cracks  in  the  surface  mud  contracted  by  the 
heat  of  the  sun.  It  was  a  severe  strain  for  the  animals 
to  get  along.  The  heat  was  intense  and  incessant. 
There  were  but  few  trees. 

No  sooner  had  I  started  from  Gambela  than  I  met 
upon  the  road  a  poor  Yambo  child,  about  ten  or  twelve 


230  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

years  of  age.  He  had  wasted  to  a  mere  skeleton.  His 
legs  and  arms  were  atrophied,  the  bones  devoid  of  flesh ; 
the  knees,  elbows,  and  all  other  joints  much  enlarged 
and  seemingly  calcinated.  His  head,  too,  was  dried  up 
like  that  of  a  mummy,  merely  the  skin  remaining  tightly 
stretched  upon  the  skull.  The  boy  was  absolutely  blind 
and  deaf.  The  greatest  marvel  to  me  was  that  the  poor 
little  fellow  could  live  at  all.  The  disease  from  which  he 
was  suffering  was  prevalent  in  that  region  in  a  more  or 
less  accentuated  degree.  Children  appeared  to  suffer 
more  intensely  from  it  than  well-grown  people.  It 
seemed  to  affect  every  portion  of  their  anatomy  ;  whereas 
with  the  older  people  the  legs  seemed  to  desiccate  first, 
the  knee  joints  hardening  until  they  were  unable  to  bend 
any  longer,  then  the  ankle  becoming  stiffened  and  the 
toes  gradually  atrophied.  The  arms  were  affected 
at  the  elbows  in  a  second  stage  of  the  disease.  I  came 
upon  many  of  these  skeleton-like  people.  They  were  a 
pitiable  sight. 

We  passed  numerous  Yambo  villages  along  the 
stream.  Many  fields  of  Indian  corn  were  cultivated  by 
these  giants.  Near  Pinkio  there  was  a  small  lake  on 
the  right  of  us  as  we  were  travelling  almost  due  west. 

The  Baro  river,  on  our  left  at  this  point,  showed  an 
elongated  island  dividing  the  stream  into  two  unequal 
channels,  the  right  one  being  half  the  width  of  the  other. 
In  many  places  the  stream  was  over  a  hundred  yards 
wide.  Some  distance  to  the  right  we  had  a  long  range 
of  mountains  in  the  Afillo  and  Sayo  regions,  and  nearer 
us  were  curious  rounded  mounds  and  humps. 

We  had  gone  but  a  few  hundred  yards  from  Gambela 
when  most  of  the  carriers  made  an  escape,  scattering 
the  loads  upon  the  trail.     I  had  to  send  back  to   my 


EVIL   SPIRITS  231 

friend  the  mamur  to  ask  for  a  fresh  supply  of  men.  He 
rode  out  with  a  new  lot  of  porters  some  time  in  the 
evening. 

These  Yambo  were  so  unreliable  and  sneaky  that  I 
feared  the  new  contingent  might  run  away  also.  During 
the  night  I  kept  watch  on  them.  We  had  an  unplea- 
sant night.  The  Yambo  shrieked  the  whole  night  at 
the  top  of  their  voices  in  an  orgy  of  their  own,  because, 
they  said,  the  full  moon  was  coming  out,  and  they  must 
give  it  a  greeting.  In  the  neighbouring  village  the  tam- 
tams were  beaten  frantically  all  through  the  hours  of 
darkness,  and  choruses  of  frantic  yells  could  be  heard  in 
all  directions.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  not  the  full 
moon  they  were  welcoming,  but,  being  of  an  extremely 
superstitious  nature,  they  were  endeavouring  to  keep 
away  from  their  huts  the  evil  spirits  which  they  believe 
are  the  travelling  companions  of  white  men  going  through 
their  country. 

The  damp  heat  was  stifling  all  through  the  night — 
quite  suffocating.  Equally  unpleasant  was  the  con- 
cert of  mosquitoes,  which  added  greatly  to  our  discom- 
fort. We  were  stung  all  over.  Notwithstanding  that 
I  had  a  thick  mosquito  net,  these  mosquitoes  were  so 
fierce  that  they  could  find  their  way  inside  with  no  diffi- 
culty. Also,  as  one's  camp  bed  was  necessarily  not  very 
wide,  every  time  one's  arms  and  feet  came  near  the 
mosquito  netting,  they  were  instantly  riddled  with 
stings  through  the  netting.  Worse  still,  even  the  entire 
body  was  not  spared  right  through  the  stretched  canvas 
of  the  bed  upon  which  one  lay. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  I  had  to  jump  out  and 
run  barefooted  after  a  batch  of  Yambo,  who  had  suddenly 
bolted  out  of  camp.     I  was  unable  to  catch  them  again 


232  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

as  I  unfortunately  trod  on  a  bunch  of  thorns.  The  men 
got  away,  and  I  had  to  spend  the  remainder  of  the  night 
in  trying  to  extract  the  spikes  from  my  aching  soles  and 
toes.  For  this  a  brilliant  illumination  of  candles  was 
imperative,  and  the  light  fetched  around  me  swarms  of 
ill-natured,  buzzing  mosquitoes  quite  fierce  in  their 
attacks. 

We  had  encamped  at  a  place  to  the  west  of  Pinkio, 
quite  a  populated  centre,  where  a  ferry  canoe  was  to  be 
found.  I  was  thus  able  to  go  to  the  other  side  of  the 
stream  to  examine  some  of  the  villages. 

The  Yambo  I  had  now  in  my  employ  were  under  a 
chief  named  Didon,  an  unscrupulous  scoundrel,  whom 
I  took  as  a  hostage,  warning  his  people  that  if  any  of 
them  took  flight  I  would  take  their  leader  as  far  as  the 
Nile.  We  had  a  grand  row  in  camp,  during  which 
sonorous  blows  were  exchanged,  as  they  endeavoured  to 
liberate  their  chief.  I  confiscated  Didon's  matchlock, 
which  he  valued  very  much,  and  in  order  to  obtain  its 
return  peace  was  eventually  restored.  It  was  only  after 
some  time  that  we  departed,  travelling  over  flat  country 
with  many  small  plantations  of  Indian  corn. 

We  passed  a  double-coned  hill  on  our  right,  quite 
isolated  upon  this  level  land,  and  to  the  west-north- 
west a  peculiarly-shaped  mountain,  with  sloping  sides  at 
the  base  and  a  vertical  walled  rocky  mass  towering 
above  it. 

The  influence  of  civilization  brought  up  the  river  by 
traders  began  to  be  apparent  among  the  natives.  It 
took  the  form  of  skirts  for  the  Yambo  women.  Only 
these  skirts,  made  of  strings  of  white  and  green  beads, 
appeared  to  me  too  long  to  be  short  and  a  great  deal  too 
short  to  be  long. 


A   SMALL   DISASTER  233 

That  day  was  doomed  to  small  disasters.  I  had 
stored  in  one  large  case  a  bag  containing  some  thirty 
pounds  of  powdered  sugar,  and  next  to  it  were  placed 
several  large  bottles  of  castor  oil.  A  bump!  The  case 
had  tumbled  off  a  pack  !  Sounds  of  broken  glass,  of 
course.  Oil  trickling  out  from  the  interstices.  Two 
bottles  of  castor  oil  gone.  Denouement,  the  sugar  ab- 
sorbed all  the  oil  and  became  so  disgusting  in  flavour 
that  it  had  to  be  thrown  away.  So,  from  that  time,  no 
more  sugar  in  my  coffee,  no  more  sugar  in  my  tea,  no 
more  sugar  on  anything,  and  it  happened  just  at  a  time 
when,  owing  to  the  intense  heat,  I  had  taken  a  great  fancy 
to  sugar  !  Sugar  is  most  refreshing  and  wholesome  in 
tropical  climates. 

We  halted  under  a  cluster  of  small  trees.  After 
travelling  all  the  time  across  a  grassy  and  almost  treeless 
country,  we  came  to  a  tiny  village. 

The  natives  smeared  their  bodies  and  faces  with  white 
ashes,  and  dyed  the  hair  on  the  scalp  of  a  brilliant  red  or 
yellow  colour.  Others  plastered  the  hair  all  over  with 
a  composition  of  white  ashes  and  mud,  and  drew  it  into 
a  point  behind  the  head.  When  this  preparation  was 
removed,  they  ^elongated  each  kink  in  the  hair  with  a 
wooden  pin  and  gave  it  a  fluffy  appearance.  The 
coiffure  stood  straight  up  on  the  head,  and  was  of  a 
brilliant  yellow. 

All  these  people  were  extremely  vain — a  quality 
universal  among  negroes.  They  thought  of  nothing  except 
their  personal  appearance  and  how  to  improve  it. 
Sometimes  they  added  dabs  of  black  and  red  upon  the 
white-coated  skin  of  their  faces.  Whether  the  vision 
of  black  people  is  different  to  ours  or  not  is  difficult  to 
say.     Their  charming  beauty  seemed  greatly    admired 


234  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

by  the  fair  sex  of  their  own  country,  but  to    European 
eyes  they  looked  perfectly  ghastly. 

At  10.30  on  the  night  of  March  nth  we  encamped 
on  a  fiat  open  space  opposite  Itang  (alt.  1,300),  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Baro,  where  ruins  of  the  former  trading 
station  could  still  be  seen. 

Further  trouble  was  in  store  with  the  Yambo,  notwith- 
standing the  patience  I  had  used  towards  them.  They 
now  absolutely  refused  to  carry  out  their  agreement  to 
come  as  far  as  Kaig,  or  indeed  to  come  along  at  all.  I 
was  so  tired  of  their  company  that  I  drove  them  away 
from  my  camp,  and  loaded  the  mules  again. 

We  next  passed  Ideni  village,  merely  two  or  three 
huts,  inhabited  by  people  quite  different  in  appearance 
from  the  Yambo.  The  men  were  slightly  bearded.  In 
fact,  we  were  here  entering  the  Nuer  country.  The 
women  carried  their  children  astride  upon  their  backs. 

I  noticed  some  rather  peculiar  straw  figures  used  as 
scarecrows  in  their  plantations  of  Indian  corn.  These 
huge  figures  possessed  plenty  of  anatomical  detail — too 
much,  in  fact. 

Near  villages  in  this  neighbourhood  there  was  usually 
a  high  post,  the  stump  of  a  dum  palm  devoid  of  leaves  at 
the  summit.  In  this  particular  village,  this  post  along 
the  stream  had  been  dyed  m  sections  of  white  and  black 
alternately  ;  but  I  think  this  was  the  work  of  hydro- 
graphers  rather  than  a  characteristic  habit  of  the  popu- 
lation. 

In  front  of  my  camp  I  witnessed  an  interesting  sham 
fight  with  javelins  between  young  fellows  and  children. 
I  was  astonished  to  see  how  accurately  these  people 
gauged  distances  and  calculated  the  parabolic  curve  of 
their  weapons  through  the  air. 


NUER  235 

This  Nuer  tribe  had  pecuHar  ways  of  doing  the  hair  : 
frequently  in  a  long  cone  behind  the  head,  with  two 
feathers  stuck  on  the  right  side  and  another  straight  up 
upon  the  head.  They  were  thin  and  tall.  All  possessed 
flattened  faces,  with  long,  prominent  upper  teeth  stick- 
ing out  beyond  the  upper  lip.  The  nose  was  flat  and 
broad,  and  upon  the  forehead  they  had  parallel  in- 
cisions half  an  inch  apart,  from  the  brow  as  far  as  the 
commencement  of  the  hair.  Many  of  them  dyed  the 
nose  of  a  different  colour  from  the  face  ;  others  had 
different  patches  of  colour  upon  the  cheeks.  The  younger 
people  plastered  the  hair  down  into  a  long,  conical, 
sharp  point  over  the  forehead,  instead  of  behind  the 
head.  The  hair  in  its  natural  condition  was  black  and 
bristly,  but  after  the  dyeing  process  it  became  dried 
and  fluffy,  and  the  kinks  would  become  straightened 
so  as  to  give  the  people  a  fashionable  fluffy  head  of 
hair. 

Sticks  were  passed  horizontally  through  the  ears, 
and  a  huge  brass  ring  was  worn  round  the  neck. 
Numerous  brass  bracelets  covered  the  entire  lower  arm 
from  the  wrist  to  the  elbow.  A  typical  ornament,  which 
I  noticed  from  this  point  right  across  as  far  as  the 
boundary  of  the  French  Congo,  was  the  string  tightly 
fastened  directly  under  the  knee.  These  particular 
people  attached  to  it  two  pieces  of  wood  on  the  left 
leg  only. 

The  favourite  attitude  of  these  tribesmen  when 
sitting  was  to  keep  one  knee  up  and  to  rest  the  arm  upon 
it.  The  other  leg  was  folded  down  and  rested  flat  upon 
the  ground.  Frequently  they  also  sat  upon  the  ground 
with  both  legs  bent  up  and  the  arms  resting  upon  them. 
But  they  never  sat  cross-legged  as  people    in    Europe 


236  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

always  imagine  natives  of  any  kind  must  sit,  Turkish 
fashion. 

An  antelope  skin,  with  a  sort  of  strap  attached  to  it, 
was  worn  hussar  fashion  by  the  better-dressed  men  as  a 
mantle  upon  one  shoulder. 

At  a  place  called  Sham,  near  Ketch,  I  saw  some  spears 
of  great  length.  They  had  an  enormous  elongated, 
leaf-shaped  head  with  a  high  rib  in  the  centre  on 
either  side,  the  section  of  the  spearhead  at  its  centre 
forming  a  quadrangle.  Two  throwing  spears  were 
generally  carried  by  each  man,  as  well  as  a  war-club, 
some  three  feet  long.  When  calling  peaceably  on  friends, 
on  sitting  down  the  men  stuck  the  heads  of  their  spears 
into  the  ground.  The  war-clubs  were  cut  from  hard, 
heavy,  but  light-coloured  wood,  with  a  hemispherical 
or  conical  head  at  one  end  and  a  sharp  point  at  the 
other. 


237 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

At  Sham  the  inhabitants  were  again  Yambo,  but  not 
of  a  pure  type.  Although  their  habitations  were  quite 
clean,  they  were  not  so  neatly  built  nor  properly  looked 
after  as  those  I  had  seen  at  Gambela.  The  roof  did  not 
show  the  same  accuracy  of  construction.  The  door  in 
the  mud  wall  was  only  one  and  a  half  feet  high  and  one 
and  a  half  feet  wide.  It  had  a  waved  pattern  over  it. 
There  was  a  three-cornered  depression  on  one  side  of 
the  hut  in  the  interior  for  lighting  a  fire,  and  along  the 
wall  stood  three  or  four  earthen  pots  for  storing  maize. 
In  the  small  paved  courts  facing  the  huts  were  large 
bowls  of  baked  corn,  the  bowls  being  hemispherical, 
with  decorations  of  the  dot  pattern  and  inverted  waves 
filled  in  with  dots. 

In  type  these  people  had  some  of  the  characteristics  of 
the  Yambo  and  some  of  those  of  the  Nuer.  The  lips, 
the  most  prominent  of  their  features,  were  protruding  and 
heavy,  and  they  appeared  out  of  proportion  to  the  small, 
squashed,  flat  nose.  The  lips  were  usually  wide  open, 
showing  the  upper  front  teeth,  which  became  of  great 
length,  the  lower  ones  being  removed  at  a  comparatively 
tender  age.  Although  the  forehead  of  these  people  had 
sufiicient  height,  it  was  abnormally  narrow  and  lacking 
in  character.  If  phrenology  could  always  be  relied 
upon,  these  people  should  be  great  mathematicians,  as 
the  bump — the  only  prominent  one — of  calculation  was 


238  ACROSS    WIDEST    AFRICA 

strongly  marked  ;  but  I  rather  doubt  whether  any  of 
them  could  even  count  up  to  five,  and  this  with  the  aid 
of  their  fingers. 

In  prowling  about  the  village  I  saw  a  woman  whose 
ears  were  simply  riddled  with  holes,  in  each  of  which  she 
had  inserted  a  white  glass  bead.  All  the  curves  of  the 
ear  were  absolutely  filled  with  these  white  beads,  each 
one  sewn  into  the  flesh. 

The  entire  population  seemed  afflicted  in  a  most 
alarming  form  by  the  terrible  venereal  complaint  pre- 
valent all  over  tropical  Africa,  and  as  they  went  about 
perfectly  naked,  one  could  notice  the  abnormal  con- 
traction of  certain  organs,  or  the  undue  swelling  of 
others,  not  to  speak  of  formidable-looking  buboes  of  a 
virulent  kind  in  the  region  of  the  loins.  The  blood  of 
these  people  was  indeed  in  a  thoroughly  vitiated  con- 
dition. The  muscles  of  their  arms  and  legs  seemed  to 
undergo  a  process  of  desiccation  which  gave  the  knees 
and  elbows  the  appearance  of  being  much  enlarged,  and 
was  evidently  caused  by  the  impurity  and  poverty  of 
their  blood. 

The  drinking  bowls  of  these  people  were  made  of 
half  a  gourd.  Prettily-coloured  shells  brought  by 
traders  from  the  coast  were  in  great  demand  among 
these  natives,  who  used  them  as  spoons. 

When  we  were  proceeding  on  the  march  we  saw 
numerous  antelopes,  and  innumerable  flamingoes  with 
blue  wings,  white  chest  and  long  pink  legs. 

We  crossed  an  immense  grassy  plain,  where  Ketch 
and  two  other  large  Nuer  settlements  of  sixty  or  eighty 
houses  in  each  were  situated. 

The  walls  of  the  huts  were  now  made  of  heavy  logs 
of  wood,  plastered  with  mud  between,  and  much  higher 


A   GHASTLY   MAKE-UP  239 

than  those  of  the  Yambo — about  five  feet  instead  of  two. 
The  door  was  somewhat  narrower  but  taller  than  that  of 
Yambo  homes,  and  in  shape  formed  either  half  or  an 
entire  oval.  The  method  of  closing  the  doorway  was 
simple  enough.  A  mat  was  placed  against  the  opening, 
with  logs  of  wood  piled  one  on  the  top  of  the  other 
against  it,  and  held  in  position  by  two  upright  sticks 
parallel  to  the  wall.  The  roofs,  conical  and  of  greater 
height  than  in  the  Yambo  country,  were  constructed  in 
superposed  sections  forming  horizontal  rings  round  the 
hut.  Some  were  as  much  as  fourteen  feet  high.  There 
were  also  domed  huts  of  thatch  over  a  frame  of  bent 
sticks,  and  only  six  or  seven  feet  high. 

The  custom  of  dyeing  the  body  and  face  white  with 
ashes  was  here  quite  general,  the  men  sporting  some 
additional  brown  and  red  marks  upon  the  face,  the 
ensemble  of  their  wrinkled,  rugged  faces,  with  their  few 
hairs  of  beard,  their  overlapping  brows  and  broad  flat 
Roses  being  at  all  times  quite  repulsive,  but  more  so  under 
their  additional  make-up. 

I  visited  the  villages  of  Buringhi  and  Bilunkul,  and 
in  the  latter  village  I  found  a  six-stringed  musical  instru- 
ment, lyre-shaped,  not  unlike  the  one  used  by  the  people 
of  Kaffa.  In  this  case,  however,  the  sounding-board 
was  made  of  half  a  pumpkin  instead  of  a  wooden  cone 
with  a  skin  stretched  on  it. 

The  natives  were  shy  and  suspicious.  I  had  the 
greatest  difficulty  in  photographing  them. 

Before  deciding  upon  a  spot  higher  up  stream  towards 
Gambela,  the  Sudan  Government  had  established  a  small 
trading  station  on  the  river  at  Ideni.  We  had  left  the 
Baro  at  Itang,  and  we  only  struck  it  again  at  this  place. 

Owing  to  the  grass  being  high,  when  we  came  near 


240  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

the  stream  I  saw  and  heard  a  great  many  women  bathing 
and  splashing  in  the  river,  but  they  had  not  perceived 
us.  I  stalked  them  with  my  best  camera  and  managed 
to  get  quite  close  without  being  seen.  When,  however, 
I  had  to  emerge  from  the  grass  in  order  to  take  the 
picture  there  was  a  general  stampede  with  shrill  squeals 
and  yells,  such  as  only  frightened  women  know  how  to 
rend  the  air  with.  The  bathing  ladies  fled  at  first  in 
a  body  and  then  dispersed  in  all  directions.  But  not, 
however,  before  I  had  succeeded  in  taking  an  instan- 
taneous record  of  their  flight,  quite  interesting,  in  a  way, 
as  it  shows  the  extraordinary  length  of  their  legs  and 
the  curious  angle  of  the  body  while  running.  A  child 
— less  rapid  and  more  scared  than  her  elders — who  had 
also  been  taken  for  a  refreshing  bath,  was  abandoned 
by  her  mother  in  the  water,  and  was  fast  getting  sub- 
merged. Had  I  not  hurried  to  pull  her  out — dear  me, 
what  lung  power  even  the  young  possessed ! — and 
deposited  her  on  an  improvised  couch  of  weeds  which  I 
made  for  her  on  a  small  island,  she  would  have  certainly 
got  drowned  or  seized  by  a  crocodile.  Perhaps  the 
mother  went  to  fetch  her  back  when  I  had  gone.  I  hope 
she  did. 

There  were  hundreds  of  cranes  along  the  river  and 
red  gazelles  on  land. 

The  men  in  this  region  wore  round  their  arms  beau- 
tiful, heavy  ivory  rings,  some  as  much  as  three  inches 
broad,  six  inches  in  diameter  and  one  inch  thick. 

At  Bilunkul,  where  we  halted  for  some  hours  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  owing  to  the  intense  heat,  the  Baro 
was  about  fifty  yards  wide,  with  a  great  sandy  beach  at 
the  river  bend. 

Towards  two  o'clock  we  continued  our  journey  again 


STRANGE   ABIGAR   GUIDE  241 

in  the  broiling  sun  over  a  grassy  but  treeless  flat  plain, 
with  thousands  of  fine  long-horned  cattle  belonging  to 
the  Nuer.  These  animals  disliked  the  sight  of  my  mules, 
and  whenever  they  perceived  my  caravan  go  through 
they  took  special  delight  in  charging  us — quite  a  for- 
midable sight  as  they  cantered  in  a  body  towards  us. 
It  took  a  deal  of  shouting  to  keep  them  at  bay. 

We  kept  pretty  well  at  an  elevation  of  about  1,300 
feet,  and  after  a  long  and  somewhat  tiring  march  for  my 
animals,  we  arrived  at  and  crossed  the  Jonkau  stream, 
only  five  yards  wide,  flowing  southward  into  the  Baro. 
There  was  a  village  of  Nuer  near  the  place  where  we 
crossed  the  rivulet. 

We  encamped  on  the  west  side  of  the  stream,  where 
grass  was  plentiful.  Curiously  enough,  although  the 
heat  of  the  day  had  been  intense,  the  night  was  quite 
chilly,  and  we  hardly  heard  or  felt  any  mosquitoes. 

I  had  with  me  an  Abigar,  whom  I  had  employed  as 
a  guide  to  show  me  the  various  settlements  of  Yambo 
and  Nuer.  He  was  a  peculiar-looking  fellow,  shrivelled 
up  with  age.  He  displayed  a  red  fez,  of  which  he  was 
proud,  as  he  had  served  in  the  Sudan  police.  Over 
a  shirt  with  only  one  sleeve  he  wore  a  thick  winter  waist- 
coat, which  he  had  purchased  from  a  trader  and  on  which 
he  had  fastened  four  buttons,  all  of  different  colours  and 
sizes.  While  marching  he  bore  a  big  bundle  of  spears 
slung  upon  his  back,  and  his  pockets  were  full  of  small 
articles  which  he  had  taken  along,  in  order  to  do  some 
little  trading  on  his  own  account  upon  the  road.  In  one 
hand  he  carried,  also  for  trading  purposes,  a  small 
bundle  of  wire,  and  in  the  spare  hand  he  conveyed  for 
me  a  lantern,  in  which  in  the  daytime  were  stored  on 
alternate  days  tins  of  apricot  and  strawberry  jam  and 
VOL.   I.  16 


242  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

biscuits,  of  which  I  eat  quantities  all  day  long  on  the 
march — hence  the  necessity  of  keeping  them  in  an 
accessible  place. 

On  March  14th  we  left  camp  at  sunrise,  and  a  mile 
or  so  beyond  we  reached  the  Baro,  here  about  a  hundred 
yards  wide.  I  wanted  to  cross  it  in  order  to  see  some 
of  the  tribes  on  the  southern  side  of  the  river. 

After  a  good  deal  of  bargaining  with  a  local  chief, 
who  rebelled  against  taking  us  and  the  loads  over  in  his 
dug-out,  we  came  to  an  understanding  with  him  and 
proceeded  to  take  the  baggage  across.  Money  was 
absolutely  useless  in  this  region.  To  save  myself  the 
trouble  of  unpacking  beads  and  brass  wire,  I  offered  this 
chief  as  much  as  four  silver  dollars  which  I  had  in  my 
pocket,  to  take  us  across,  but  he  explicitly  refused  to 
accept  the  money,  which  he  threw  upon  the  ground, 
saying  that  it  was  no  good  to  him.  He  eventually  con- 
sented to  take  us  to  the  other  side  for  something  like 
one  yard  of  brass  wire,  worth  at  the  most  threepence. 
There  was  a  man  with  a  good  eye  for  business. 

We  had,  of  course,  to  swim  the  horses  and  mules 
across,  and  the  canoe,  being  extremely  rickety — abso- 
lutely falling  to  pieces,  it  was  so  rotten — it  took  us  the 
best  part  of  three  hours  to  effect  the  crossing  of  the 
entire  caravan.  The  scene  was  witnessed  from  both 
banks  of  the  river  by  hundreds  of  admiring  natives, 
smeared  all  over  with  white  and  quite  ghost-like.  They 
were  sitting  along  the  river  banks  with  their  knees 
doubled  up,  each  one  carrying  two  or  more  spears  as  well 
as  war-clubs. 

Good  gracious  !  What  a  variety  of  headdresses 
these  people  were  seen  to  have  adopted  when  you  looked 
at  them.     Some  wore  the  hair  plastered  into  a  cone 


x; 


LONG-LEGGED    PEOPLE  243 

sticking  out  behind  ;  others  in  a  little  cone  rising  up 
vertically  upon  the  head ;  others  still  in  an  elongated 
cone  projecting  out  in  a  graceful  curve  in  front,  several 
inches  beyond  the  forehead.  Some,  more  ambitious, 
had  built  a  gorgeous  aureole  of  long  white  and  black 
feathers  stuck  in  the  back  of  the  hair ;  others  only 
had  one  feather  stuck  on  one  side  of  the  head. 

All  the  men  had  five  or  six  parallel  cuts  upon  the 
forehead,  their  special  tribal  mark,  and  many  men  and 
women  showed  the  incisions  upon  the  shoulders  and 
chest  recording  love  affairs,  after  the  fashion  we  have 
seen  among  the  Yambo.  Some  had  a  series  of  these 
cicatrices  at  the  waist  behind. 

These  people  were  rowdy,  whatever  we  did  or  said 
causing  a  good  deal  of  undemonstrative  merriment 
among  them.  I  never  saw  any  of  them  laugh  heartily  ; 
they  seemed  to  take  life  sadly,  not  unlike  the  long-legged 
water-birds  along  the  stream,  whom  they  closely 
resembled.  Nature  has  a  wonderful  way  of  adapting 
people  and  animals  to  local  conditions.  The  country  of 
these  people  was  dry  when  we  passed  in  the  height 
of  the  hot  season,  but  during  the  rains  it  is  practically 
a  swamp,  and  to  get  about  involves  being  in  water 
all  the  time.  Hence  the  necessity  of  supplying  the 
people  with  long  legs,  in  order  to  keep  the  vital  parts  of 
the  body  protected  as  much  as  possible  from  the  moisture. 
Nearly  all  the  tribes  of  the  High  Nile  valley,  which  go  by 
the  generic  name  of  "  Nilotic  tribes,"  possess  similar 
characteristics  ;  but  man}^  paludal  and  riverine  tribes 
of  other  parts  of  the  world  are  also  to  be  found  with  a 
special  anatomical  development  enabling  them  to  live 
in  v/atery  regions, 

I  proceeded  to  a  vil]a|e  called  Wau,  and  then  to 
VOL.  I,  16* 


244  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

another  village  with  small  domed  huts,  six  to  seven  feet 
high.  Nearly  all  these  villages  were  now  built  at  the 
sides  of  a  square,  in  which  stood  hundreds  of  pegs  for 
tying  up  goats  and  cattle  at  night. 

These  people  possessed  thousands  of  humped,  long- 
horned  cattle,  which  they  would  on  no  account  sell  or 
barter,  nor  would  they  dispose  of  milk,  butter  or  cheese. 
At  night,  when  the  cattle  had  been  collected  in  the 
central  square,  big  fires  were  burnt  all  round  to  keep 
wild  animals  at  bay — lions  particularly,  which  were  plen- 
tiful in  that  region.  Drums  were  also  beaten  the  whole 
night. 

The  men  of  these  villages  possessed  a  curious  arrange- 
ment, which  consisted  of  a  large  wooden  cylinder,  in 
which  a  hollow  place  to  insert  the  hand  was  scooped 
half-way  up.  They  explained  that  this  was  a  weapon 
of  defence  against  blows  from  the  war-clubs,  but  I  never 
was  able  to  get  them  to  give  me  a  practical  demon- 
stration of  how  it  was  used.  Of  course,  one  could  get  a 
powerful  swing  with  these  heavy  wooden  cylinders,  and 
anybody  able  to  use  them  dexterously  could  certainly 
ward  off  any  blow,  and  even  disarm  his  enemy. 

As  we  marched  southward  of  the  river,  visiting  several 
other  villages,  the  heat  was  stifling.  The  short  grass  was 
burnt  by  the  roasting  sun.  The  scenery  was  wretchedly 
barren,  and  not  a  tree  nor  shrub  was  to  be  seen  for  miles 
and  miles  around.     The  country  was  absolutely  flat. 

In  the  afternoon  we  reached  a  place  called  Barakui, 
where  the  natives  wore  their  hair  long  and  dyed  it  a  light 
brown  colour.  These  people  were  independent  in  their 
manner,  and  rather  inclined  to  be  unpleasant.  They 
were  angry  at  my  making  a  camp  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  their  village,  and  insisted  that  we  should  move  on, 


NUER   POET   AND   MUSICIAN  245 

which,  of  course,  I  did  not  do.  We  had  to  keep  a  sharp 
look-out  on  all  our  possessions,  as  these  people  were  un- 
scrupulous thieves. 

Here  again  we  found  the  fashion  of  plastering  the  hair 
with  red  mud,  mostly  into  a  long  point  in  front,  like  a 
clown.  The  dwellers  in  this  place  had  lovely  ivory 
bracelets  of  great  thickness  round  their  arms  above  the 
elbow,  and  numerous  brass  wire  bracelets  covering  the 
arm  from  the  wrist  to  the  elbow.  They  possessed 
elaborate  necklaces  of  blue  and  white  beads,  but  their 
entire  dress  consisted  of  a  mere  string  of  rope  round  the 
loins,  usually  with  one  or  two  cylindrical  pieces  of  wood 
sticking  up  about  two  inches  in  front,  or  else  with  a  well- 
made  knot  at  the  waist  behind. 

These  people  coveted  pieces  of  European  rope,  and 
I  had  to  keep  men  watching  all  the  time  over  the  ropes 
with  which  we  fastened  our  packs  on  the  mules,  as  I 
could  read  in  their  faces  an  inextinguishable  desire  to 
intercept  them. 

All  round  the  right  shoulder-blade  the  men  had  two 
semicircles  of  dots  formed  by  incisions  in  the  skin,  and 
also  sets  of  incisions,  generally  in  parallel  rows,  in  the 
umbilical  region. 

When  these  fellows  perceived  that  I  disregarded 
their  arrogance,  and  paid  no  attention  whatever  to  their 
threatening  attitude,  the  chief  sent  over  to  my  camp  a 
strange  individual — a  local  poet  and  musician — evidently 
a  Nuer  Mozart,  with  long  hair  held  in  by  a  white  bead- 
crown  at  the  back  of  the  head.  His  features  were 
knobby  ;  his  eyes  mere  slits. 

I  am  fond  of  music,  but  I  never  place  much  reliance 
in  the  honesty  of  musicians — less,  of  course,  in  that  of 
Nuer  musicians  than  of  other  musicians.     When  I  saw 


246  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

this  unscrupulous-looking  devil  appear,  I  naturally  took 
some  interest  in  his  combination  lyre-drum,  which  was 
neatly  made  of  a  tortoise  shell,  with  a  skin  stretched  over 
it,  perforated  in  sixteen  places,  and  of  the  usual  trian- 
gular frame,  with  six  strings  attached  to  it;  but  I  also 
immediately  wondered  whether  this  genius  of  Nuer- 
land  had  really  come  to  give  us  sweet  local  melodies, 
or  whether  his  visit  had  ulterior  motives.  With  him 
came  a  friend  of  his,  this  one  more  poet-like.  A  poet  and 
a  musician  together.     That  looked  rather  bad. 

While  I  pretended  to  be  writing  I  kept  a  watch  on 
them  by  means  of  a  small  looking-glass.  The  musician 
sat  himself  some  little  way  behind  me,  strumming  upon 
the  strings  and  making  some  ululations,  while  his  com- 
panion, gazing  towards  the  sky,  walked  about  the  camp 
shoving  with  his  feet — unseen,  as  he  believed — any  small 
articles,  such  as  knives,  forks,  etc.,  which  were  strewn 
upon  the  ground  about  my  camp.  The  musician,  on 
his  part,  seemed  skilfully  to  combine  thieving  with  im- 
provising verses  and  music,  and  while  charming  us  with 
Nuer  melodies  with  his  dainty  hands,  he  spread  now  one 
leg  and  then  the  other  to  pick  up  with  his  toes — which 
he  could  use  like  fingers — the  various  articles  which  his 
friend  and  confederate  had  conveniently  pushed  near 
him. 

Interesting  as  all  this  was  to  watch,  I  could  not  help 
wondering  how  these  rascals  would  manage  to  take  the 
things  away  without  my  seeing  them.  Evidently  they 
intended  sitting  there  until  night  came,  the  hour  then 
being  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Upon  which,  I 
thought  I  would  not  wait  so  long,  and  proceeded  in  my 
turn  to  charm  them  too — but  with  a  different  kind  of 
music  altogether — and  recovered  my  property,   quite  a 


Xuer  musician  and  poet. 


NUER   NATURAL   ODOUR  247 

good  heap  of  it,  on  which  for  lack  of  pockets  the  illus- 
trious minstrel  was  gracefully  sitting. 

Hot  as  I  made  it  for  my  victim,  we  considered  that 
quite  a  cool  day  as  far  as  the  temperature  went.  It  was 
120°  in  the  sun  and  no  shade  of  any  kind  existed  except 
under  the  shelter  that  I  had  put  up,  where  the  tem- 
perature registered  100°.  There  was,  however,  a  nice 
breeze,  which  gave  us  great  relief,  as  we  had  been  suffering 
a  good  deal  from  the  hot^  stifling  air. 

The  skin  of  the  Nuer  possesses  a  strong  natural 
odour,  much  resembling  that  of  sheep.  It  could  be 
easily  detected  in  the  pure  air  fifteen  to  twenty  yards 
away  if  the  wind  blew  in  one's  direction.  Possibly  it  is 
intensified  by  their  habit  of  sleeping  among  their  sheep 
and  goats.  These  people  are  clean  in  their  habits,  and 
they  spend  all  their  time  between  bathing  and  smearing 
their  bodies  with  ashes.  They  think  themselves  very 
beautiful. 

The  umbilicus  of  children  is  so  badly  tied  at  birth 
— in  fact,  the  umbiHcal  cord  is  left  quite  long  and  a  mere 
knot  tied  at  the  end — that  one  finds  many  children  of 
five  to  ten  years  old  with  the  umbilicus  enlarged  to  the 
size  of  a  large  egg — quite  a  deformity. 

We  have  a  different  type  again  in  this  particular 
tribe,  influenced  probably  by  their  vicinity  to  the  Anuak. 
They  have  a  long  and  prominent  upper  lip.  The  fore- 
head is  large  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  head, 
but  extreme  weakness  of  character  is  apparent  in  the 
lower  portion  of  the  face,  particularly  in  the  small  receding 
chin. 

Many  of  these  people  were  regular  giants,  as  far  as 
their  stature  went,  many  of  them  being  above  six  feet 
four  inches.     Several  men  I  saw    six  feet  six  inches  in 


248  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

height.     Most  of  the  men  were  over  six   feet,  and    all 
remarkably  long-legged. 

The  body  and  arms  showed  no  strength  whatever,  the 
chest  particularly  being  badly  developed,  narrow  and 
weak.  These  people,  unhke  the  Yambo,  only  remove 
one  upper  front  tooth. 

The  women  either  shave  their  heads  clean,  which 
they  do  by  scraping  it  with  a  piece  of  shell,  or  else  they 
wear  a  coiffure  like  the  men,  plastered  into  a  curly  short 
horn.  These  people  are  absolutely  hairless  on  the  body. 
The  women  are  only  well  formed  when  quite  young,  when 
they  possess  well-rounded  and  fairly  daintily-chiselled 
limbs,  with  gracefully-modelled  body  and  breasts,  but 
when  getting  older  they  either  become  massive  and  un- 
shapely or  else  skinny  and  ancient-looking.  They  have 
five  long  cuts  above  the  forehead  as  a  tribal  mark.  A 
stick  several  inches  long  is  generally  thrust  into  the 
upper  lip. 

Men  and  women  decorate  the  body  with  cicatrices  of 
the  parallel-angle  pattern,  the  incisions  being  made  with 
the  point  of  a  porcupine  quill. 

Men,  women  and  children,  when  standing,  often 
raise  one  foot  upon  the  knee  of  the  other  leg,  not  un- 
like water-birds,  and  keep  their  balance  steadily  for  a 
long  time  by  resting  against  a  spear  or  even  without. 
These  people  are  great  fishermen,  the  entire  village  going 
out  on  fishing  expeditions,  when  the  noise  of  their 
shrieks  while  chasing  the  fish  along  the  streamlets  with 
their  spears  resounds  for  miles  around.  They  generally 
send  a  canoe  with  three  or  four  women  in  it  up  a  small 
stream  for  a  mile  or  so,  the  people  in  the  skiff  beating  the 
water  and  chasing  the  fish  in  the  direction  of  the  crowd. 
All  are  waiting,  spear  in  hand,  and  a  regular  pandemonium 


FISHING   EXPEDITIONS  249 

takes  place  when  the  fish  arrive,  and  all  the  fishermen 
jump  into  the  water,  spearing  to  right  and  left  with 
wonderful  skill. 

Huge  crowds  of  fish  are  captured  on  these  occasions, 
and  when  everybody  has  enough  the  fishers  return 
singing  to  the  village.  Some  also  use  a  fish-hook  made 
of  bone,  to  the  head  of  which  a  long  line  is  attached, 
the  other  end  being  fastened  to  the  fisherman's  neck,  but 
this  is  only  used  for  the  larger  fish. 

Nearly  all  the  men  wear  two  large  ivory  rings  above 
the  elbow,  while  the  women  are  fond  of  wearing  iron 
anklets  on  their  lower  extremities. 

It  was  amusing  to  watch  the  excitement  of  these 
people  one  day  when  a  crowd  collected  round  my  camp, 
and  I  was  in  the  act  of  shaving.  They  thought  that  I 
was  about  to  paint  my  whole  body  white  when  they  saw 
me  lathering  my  face,  and  their  disappointment  was 
great  when  I  scraped  off  the  soap  again  with  a  razor. 
There  were  many  applications  to  obtain  some  of  the  soap 
for  their  own  use,  as  they  said  it  gave  such  a  beautiful 
white.  But  as  the  bartering  consisted  of  taking  all  the 
soap,  and  giving  nothing  in  exchange  for  it,  I  was  unable 
to  satisfy  their  vanity. 

In  the  evening  the  thermometer  dropped  as  low  as  65°, 
and  my  men  felt  the  cold  intensely. 

The  sight  of  Barakui  village  close  by  was  quite  weird 
at  sunset.  A  great  number  of  sharply -pointed  huts 
stood  against  the  low,  brilliant,  golden  red  horizon,  above 
which  delicate  greenish  tints  gradually  blended  into  the 
deep  blue  vault  of  the  sky. 


250 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

During  the  night  we  had  a  disaster  which  came  near 
wrecking  my  entire  expedition. 

The  fires  which  we  hghted  round  our  camp  every 
evening  had  gone  out  owing  to  my  men  falhng  asleep. 
Towards  midnight  I  was  awakened  by  frantic  neighing 
and  braying,  my  horse  and  mules  making  desperate 
efforts  to  tear  away  the  picket  line. 

We  were  encamped  on  finely-powdered,  soft,  allu- 
vial soil.  Not  a  tree  nor  a  stone  was  to  be  found  within 
a  great  distance.  The  pickets,  although  forced  deep 
mto  the  ground,  offered  but  little  resistance  and  did 
not  hold.  Before  I  was  able  to  jump  out  of  my  camp- 
bed  all  the  animals  had  stampeded  in  a  body,  and,  as 
the  night  was  dark,  they  were  soon  out  of  sight. 

It  was  a  disaster  which  could  not  very  well  be 
averted,  but  when  I  realized  its  likely  consequences  it 
gave  me  a  great  deal  to  reflect  upon. 

My  men  seized  their  rifles  and  ran  after  the  animals, 
but  they  had  gained  such  a  long  lead  that  they  were 
unable  to  hear  them  or  detect  their  direction.  Still, 
they  ran  and  ran  like  mad  in  all  directions,  trusting  more 
to  Providence  than  to  personal  judgment,  as  they,  too, 
contemplated  the  plight  in  which  we  should  find  our- 
selves were  the  animals  not  recovered. 

I  remained  alone  in  camp.     On  making  a  tour  of 


"<c, 


A   LION   IN   CAMP  251 

inspection  with  a  lantern,  I  discovered  in  the  soft  soil 
the  tracks  of  a  lion.  So  in  my  mind  I  constructed  the 
entire  explanation  of  what  had  happened.  Evidently 
the  Hon  had  sprung  upon  the  mules  and  had  been  the 
cause  of  the  trouble. 

The  neighbouring  villagers  had  been  roused  by  the 
noise  in  our  camp,  and  I  could  just  perceive  in  the 
distance  lots  of  ghost-like  painted  figures,  spear  in  hand, 
running  to  and  fro  near  their  huts  ;  while  the  distant 
barking  of  dogs,  towards  the  east,  where  the  river  was 
about  thirty  miles  away,  made  me  suspect  that  the 
animals  had  dashed  in  that  direction. 

I  waited  and  waited  for  several  hours  and  listened 
tor  signals  from  my  men.  With  the  exception  of  sus- 
picious cries  from  the  native  village,  everything  had 
become  quite  calm  again.  In  order  that  my  men  could 
find  their  way  back  to  my  tent,  which  they  could  not 
possibly  distinguish  at  night,  owing  to  its  khaki  colour 
being  the  same  as  that  of  the  ground,  I  fastened  several 
sticks  together  and  hauled  up  the  lantern,  some  height 
above  the  tent,  so  as  to  form  an  improvised  lighthouse. 
I  was  rather  anxious  about  them,  as  the  natives  round 
us  were  not  friendly,  and  although  I  was  sure  they 
would  not  attack  us  in  a  body  they  might  probably 
intercept  my  men  singly. 

The  morning  came.  Neither  men  nor  mules  had 
reappeared,  and  when  ten,  eleven  o'clock,  and  then  noon 
had  gone  by,  and  no  one  had  returned,  I  began  to  feel 
rather  uncomfortable.  No  help  could  be  expected  from 
the  local  natives.  Quite  the  contrary  ;  now  that  they 
saw  me  alone  in  camp  they  became  threatening.  I  was 
too  far  from  the  river  to  convey  the  loads  there,  make 
a  raft,  and  proceed  by  water,  and  this  disaster,  I  quite 


252  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

realized,  meant  that  I  must  abandon  all  my  notes,  photo- 
graphs, instruments,  most  of  my  rifles  and  ammunition, 
and  make  for  the  stream  with  only  what  provisions  I 
could  carry  on  my  back.  At  best,  this  was  not  a  bright 
look-out  in  such  a  hot,  desolate  country. 

In  the  afternoon  one  of  my  men,  with  bleeding  feet 
and  half  dead  with  fatigue,  returned  to  camp  with  the 
sad  news  that  he  had  lost  his  companions  and  had  seen 
no  signs  of  the  animals.  Two  more  men  returned  later, 
bringing  a  similar  account.  They,  too,  were  worn  and 
thirsty,  as  they  had  found  no  water  the  whole  day. 

At  sunrise  I  had  followed  for  some  distance  the  traces 
of  blood  from  the  spot  where  the  mules  had  been 
tethered,  which  left  no  doubt  that  the  lion  had  jumped 
upon,  and  probably  clung  to,  one  of  the  animals  as  they 
stampeded. 

The  mishap  could  not  have  happened  in  a  worse 
place.  The  only  water  we  had  at  this  camp  was  from 
an  effluent  of  the  Baro,  and  the  stagnant  water  was 
swarming  with  large  worms  and  black  germs  of  great 
size.  The  air  in  the  daytime  was  so  hot  and  full  of  dust 
that  one's  face  and  clothes  were  black  with  it  when  a 
slight  breeze  raised  clouds  of  it.  There  was  no  shade 
of  any  kind,  and  it  was  impossible  to  remain  under 
the  tent,  as  the  moment  one  got  under  cover  the  heat 
was  suffocating. 

The  sarcastic  hilarity  of  the  natives  who  came  to 
laugh  at  one's  misfortunes  was  irritating,  and  their 
absolute  refusal  to  help  us  to  carry  my  heavy  baggage 
to  the  stream  on  any  account  whatever,  did  not  add 
to  my  happiness.  They  rejected  with  scorn  presents 
I  offered  them,  and  by  the  unabashed  manner  they 
circled  round    my  camp  in  force  I  suspected  that  they 


A   SUSPICIOUS   EXPEDITION  253 

were  under  the  impression  they  would  soon  possess  all 
I  owned.  To  complete  one's  trials^  a  native  musician 
with  a  lyre  came  to  fill  the  air  with  incoherent  and  dis- 
cordant notes  like  a  morose  child's  three-finger  exercises, 
improvising  songs  about  us  which  created  a  good  deal 
of  mirth  among  his  tribesmen.  The  temptation  to 
smash  this  fellow's  head  as  well  as  his  tortoiseshell 
musical  instrument  was  almost  unconquerable,  and 
it  was  only  by  some  pieces  of  cotton  wool  which  I  stuffed 
tight  into  my  ears  that  this  man's  life  was  eventually 
spared. 

Also,  luckily  for  him,  hundreds  of  villagers— indeed, 
the  whole  population,  men,  women  and  children — brand- 
ishing spears  and  shrieking  wildly,  spearing  fish  as  they 
went  along,  came  rushing  along  the  banks  of  the  putrid 
stream,  while  a  canoe  in  the  water  drove  the  fish  towards 
the  crowd  in  the  manner  already  described  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

It  was  a  picturesque  sight.  Only  I  was  not  quite 
certain  whether  this  fishing  expedition  was  not  really 
intended  as  a  blind  in  order  to  attack  us  unexpectedly. 
The  two  or  three  men  who  had  returned  to  my  camp 
seemed  anxious  and  took  to  their  rifles.  I  handed 
ammunition  over  to  them,  in  order  to  be  ready  for  any 
emergency.  I,  too,  loaded  two  of  my  magazine  rifles 
and  kept  them  ready,  carefully  watching  events. 

The  natives  had  decked  themselves  in  all  their 
finery  to  go  on  this  particular  fishing  expedition,  and 
it  looked  to  me  more  like  their  war-paint  than  the 
attire  usually  worn  when  slaying  fish.  Some  of  the  men 
had  as  many  as  a  dozen  white  and  black  feathers 
sticking  up  straight  upon  the  head,  and  small  sticks 
thrust  through  the  ears  and  in  the  lips.     Among  the  few 


254  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

women  who  were  dressed  at  all^  some  wore  small  fringes 
of  hide  in  front  of  the  lower  portion  of  the  body. 
Others,  more  elaborately  dressed,  donned  a  little  skirt, 
three  inches  long,  worn  very  low  and  going  all  round 
the  body  ;  while  one  or  two  of  the  more  stylish  ladies 
were  adorned  with  a  leather  triangular  tail  behind, 
reaching  down  to  the  knee.  They  seemed  proud  of  this 
style  of  dress. 

Whether  because  the  people  saw  that  we  had  taken 
to  our  rifles,  or  for  other  reasons — the  fishing  that  day 
seemed  to  be  only  near  my  camp — after  a  great  deal  of 
excitement  the  Nuer  returned  to  their  village.  Day- 
light had  by  this  time  waned.  The  sun  was  getting 
towards  the  horizon,  but  there  were  no  signs  of  the 
mules  nor  of  most  of  my  men. 

At  last,  after  dark,  a  blind  boy  belonging  to  a 
different  tribe  from  that  of  Barakui  came  into  my  camp 
to  say  that  my  mules  had  gone  across  the  Baro.  His 
village,  he  told  us,  was  along  the  stream,  and  he  had 
heard  the  noise  of  the  animals  galloping  by  and  going 
into  the  water.  There  was  irony  of  fate  for  you  ! 
That  a  blind  boy  should  be  the  only  one  who  knew  where 
the  mules  were.  It  all  seemed  so  extraordinary  to  me 
that  I  did  not  at  first  believe  him,  and  I  suspected  this 
to  be  a  ruse  to  ambush  us.  I  asked  him  how  he  had 
found  his  way  to  my  camp.  He  told  me  that  his  village 
men  had  brought  him  close  by,  and  were  there  still 
hiding.  They  were  on  unfriendly  terms  with  the  Nuer 
of  the  village  near  which  we  encamped,  and  if  I  chose  to 
go  out  to  them  we  could  arrange  to  have  the  mules 
brought  back.  I  sent  two  of  my  men  with  this  boy,  in 
order  to  get  his  villagers  safely  to  my  tent.  In  fact, 
after  a  long  conference,  they  said  they  would  endefivour 


MONEY   USELESS  255 

to  capture  the  animals  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream 
and  bring  them  back.  A  handsome  present  was  pro- 
mised the  moment  the  animals  were  handed  back  to  me, 
but  not  before.  They  all  swore  the  animals  had  swum 
across  the  river  and  gone  over  to  the  north  side,  some 
thirty  to  forty  miles  from  my  camp. 

The  next  morning  another  of  my  men  returned, 
who  had  followed  the  tracks  of  the  mules,  and  he  had 
arrived  at  the  spot  on  the  river  where  they  had  crossed. 

The  entire  next  day  elapsed,  and  I  had  already  made 
up  my  mind  to  send  for  relief,  either  to  Gambela  or 
Nasser,  when  shortly  after  sunset  my  heart  bounded  with 
joy.  In  the  distance  I  perceived  two  more  of  my  men 
and  six  mules  driven  by  a  horde  of  Abigar.  When  they 
reached  camp — the  animals  were  in  a  terrible  condition 
— I  took  them  over  again.  The  natives  told  us  how 
they  had  captured  them  eight  or  ten  miles  north  of 
the  Baro. 

In  a  moment  of  exuberance  I  offered  the  Abigar 
chief  and  his  men  a  substantial  sum  of  silver,  about 
five  pounds  sterling  worth,  which  they  refused  with  con- 
tempt, as  they  said  that  was  no  present  to  offer,  and 
they  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  it.  I  told  them  if 
they  brought  the  other  mules  they  should  have  as  much 
again,  but  they  refused. 

What  did  they  want  ?  I  asked.  I  would  certainly 
give  it  to  them  if  I  could  afford  it.  Upon  which  the 
chief  said  he  wanted  two  brass  wire  bracelets  for  himself, 
and  one  brass  wire  bracelet  for  each  of  his  men,  some 
thirty  altogether.  Not  only  did  I  give  them  what  they 
demanded,  but  I  gave  the  chief  eight  brass  bracelets 
and  two  extra  to  every  other  man,  with  promises  of 
giving  as  many  again  if  they  brought  in  all  the  other 


256  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

animals.  They  were  delighted,  and  so  was  I,  because 
in  this  transaction  not  only  should  I  get  my  mules  back, 
but  I  should  save  at  least  nine  pounds  ten  shillings  out 
of  the  ten  pounds  which  I  had  offered  as  a  reward,  and 
as  there  is  no  way  of  replenishing  one's  exchequer  in 
Central  Africa,  I  needed  all  the  cash  I  carried. 

Shortly  after,  another  mule  was  recovered  in  a 
worn  condition  close  to  camp,  where  it  had  found 
its  way,  and,  later,  another  straggled  in.  I  had  now 
eight  animals  back,  all  so  tired  that  they  could  hardly 
move.  Two  or  three  of  them  were  badly  wounded, 
as  in  stampeding  and  carrying  away  the  picket  rope 
they  must  have  fallen,  and  had  been  kicked  or  dragged 
along  by  the  others  in  their  frantic  flight. 

On  March  i6th,  the  next  day,  long  before  sunrise, 
I  was  up  waiting  for  more  mules  to  come  in.  The  horse 
and  another  mule  were  perceived  at  some  distance 
straggling  in  towards  the  camp,  and  I  was  in  hopes  that 
some  of  the  other  mules  would  soon  follow  the  horse, 
round  whom  they  always  collected.  Later,  an  Abigar 
ran  in  to  say  that  all  the  animals  had  recrossed  the  river 
to  the  south  side,  and  the  villagers  were  trying  to  capture 
them.  In  fact,  towards  noon,  much  to  my  delight, 
the  remainder  of  the  animals  were  led  back  into  my 
camp.  One  of  them  had  been  badly  mauled,  evidently 
by  a  lion,  a  good  portion  of  its  shoulder  having  been 
bitten  off.  The  animal  seemed  in  great  pain.  Before 
the  accident  this  was,  of  course,  the  best  mule  I 
possessed.  I  had  not  the  courage  to  kill  it.  It,  how- 
ever, died  on  the  march  a  day  or  two  later. 

There  were  great  rejoicings  in  camp,  and  the  Abigar 
could  not  restrain  their  happiness — they  simply  burst 
into  boisterous  rapture — when  more  than  quadruple  the 


,  4 


'M 


.^  a  JU  wtiML'iabiiiaut'ai 


INTERESTING   SPEAR-HEADS  257 

number  of  bracelets  they  had  been  promised  were  handed 
to  them^  with  an  extra  roll  of  wire  to  divide  among 
themselves. 

The  natives  of  the  Barakui  village,  a  mixed  popu- 
lation of  Abigar  and  Nuer,  used  interesting  harpoons 
for  fishing  purposes,  the  barbed  head  of  iron  being 
removable  from  the  rod  (some  six  and  a  half  to 
seven  feet  long),  in  which  it  was  fixed.  To  hold  it  in 
position  there  was  a  piece  of  leather  at  the  top,  while 
a  string  which  went  as  far  as  the  other  end  of  the  rod 
v/as  attached  to  the  iron  head,  where  another  string 
could  easily  be  added.  Straight,  conical-headed  fishing 
spears  were  also  used  by  them,  as  well  as  vicious  quad- 
rangular-headed spears,  used  both  for  fishing  and 
fighting.  These  quadrangular  spears  had  as  many  as 
eighteen  to  twenty  double  sets  of  small  corkscrew-shaped 
barbs,  at  the  end  of  which  two  large  barbs  in  a  reverse 
direction  were  placed,  which  produced  a  terrible  wound. 
It  was  really  amazing  to  notice  on  what  scientific  lines 
these  savage  people  constructed  their  spear-heads,  in 
order  to  establish  in  them  not  only  a  vibration  while 
being  thrown,  but  a  high  revolving  speed  while  going 
through  the  air. 

The  water  was  so  foul  at  this  camp,  and  the  heat  so 
intense,  that  although  my  animals  were  done  up  with 
fatigue  I  loaded  them  again  in  the  afternoon.  I 
recrossed  the  Barakui  stream  from  the  north  bank, 
on  which  we  had  camped,  to  the  south  bank.  A  huge 
crowd  of  Abigar  and  Nuer — who  had  by  now  become 
fairly  friendly — came  to  watch  our  departure.  They 
were  extremely  timid  and  frightened  at  everything  we 
did.  Their  fear  of  mules  and  horses  was  curious  in 
people  who  are  brave  enough  to  go  and  attack  lions 
VOL.  I.  17 


258  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

and  elephants  with  no  other  weapons  than  spears.  No 
sooner  had  we  moved  away  than  these  people  pounced 
like  scavengers  upon  all  the  empty  tins,  the  pieces  of 
torn  paper  and  broken  glass  we  had  left  behind. 

We  passed  a  large  settlement — some  two  hundred 
huts — with  neat  circles  of  pegs  to  which  the  natives 
tied  their  cattle  at  night.  We  saw  here  a  different 
architecture  for  the  huts.  Instead  of  the  smaller  zeribas, 
or  kraals,  enclosed  within  a  fence,  each  abode  was  quite 
separate,  constructed  of  cylindrical  walls  of  reeds  some- 
what higher  than  those  of  the  Yambo,  six  to  seven  feet 
high,  with  high  roofs  made  of  the  sections  of  a  cone, 
generally  seven  in  number,  laid  over  one  another,  and 
forming  a  series  of  steps  in  the  grass  thatching.  Many 
of  the  better  huts  had  a  small  circular  fixed  screen  in 
front  of  the  door,  the  only  aperture  in  their  structures. 
The  doors  were  here  much  higher  and  wider  than  in 
the  Yambo  country.  The  long  spears  of  the  men  were 
left  sticking  in  the  ground  just  outside  the  doors  of 
habitations. 

We  marched  over  a  wide,  treeless,  fiat  country,  so 
trampled  upon  by  elephants  in  the  wet  season  that 
thousands  of  deep  holes— their  footmarks — covered  the 
whole  country,  and  were  a  great  nuisance — in  fact,  quite 
a  danger — for  my  animals.  These  holes  delayed  us 
considerably,  as  they  were  often  covered  with  grass, 
and  my  animals  were  constantly  tumbling  into  them. 

We  had  no  experiences  worthy  of  notice  that  day, 
nor  did  we  see  much  game,  except  two  herds  of  large 
red  antelopes  and  flocks  of  herons  striding  majestically 
about,  with  their  red  beaks,  black  wings,  white  chest  and 
a  long  red  bag  dangling  from  the  neck.  In  the  heat  of 
the  sun  they  spread  their  spacious  wings  and  kept  the 


HIPPOPOTAMI  259 

head  under  the  shade  thus  produced.  They  remained 
in  that  position  sometimes  for  hours,  generally  perched 
on  the  top  of  high  sandheaps  or  anthills,  thousands  of 
which  are  to  be  found  all  over  this  country. 

Towards  sunset  we  halted  by  the  side  of  the  Dum- 
biorau  water,  stagnant  and  quite  as  foul  as  the  Barakui 
river.  This  place  was  notable  only  for  the  peculiar 
whitish-yellow  banks,  on  which  footmarks  of  all  kinds  of 
wild  animals  could  be  seen.  During  the  evening  many 
antelopes  came  to  the  water  and  one  or  two  lions.  We  left 
early  in  the  morning,  and  along  the  water-course  we  saw 
hundreds  of  hippopotami  and  crocodiles.  We  had  quite 
an  amusing  time  with  them.  Some  of  the  hippopotami 
were  gigantic,  and  at  one  or  two  villages  the  natives  ran 
after  us,  entreating  us  to  fire  on  them,  as  they  rehshed 
the  meat  considerably.  W^hen  in  the  water  they  were 
not  so  easy  to  kill  with  the  small  calibre  bullets  I 
possessed.  It  was  only  when  you  hit  them  in  the  eye 
or  behind  the  ear  that  the  wound  was  mortal  at  all. 
However,  we  got  some. 

The  river  Dura,  which  we  next  met,  flowed,  where 
we  crossed  it,  at  a  depth  of  about  four  feet,  from  east 
to  west,  and  turned  northwards  near  a  village,  eventually 
finding  an  outlet  into  the  Baro.  From  nine  o'clock, 
when  we  crossed  the  stream,  we  marched  over  flat,  unin- 
habited country,  but  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at 
Jhiun,  a  large  village  of  domed  sheds  flimsily  constructed 
of  reeds. 

The  way  they  build  these  huts  is  by  thrusting  the 
reeds  into  the  ground  in  a  circle,  and  then  bending  over 
the  reeds  until  they  meet,  where  they  are  tied  into  a 
bunch. 

I  saw  at  this  village  a  native  forge,  quite  interesting 
VOL.  I.  17* 


26o  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

to  me,  as  the  double  bellows  typical  of  this  region  were 
identical  with  the  primitive  skin  bellows  used  in  Tibet 
in  Central  Asia.  They  were  made  of  a  skin  with  two 
parallel  sticks,  which  formed  an  opening  to  let  in  the 
air,  and  were  closed  again,  when  filled,  by  means  of  the 
hand.  The  channels  of  the  two  bellows  were,  of  course, 
joined,  and  when  blown  alternately,  they  produced  a 
continuous  draught.  Long  rudimentary  pincers,  a 
hammer  and  a  dish  of  cold  water,  in  which  to  temper 
the  steel  of  their  spear-heads  after  it  had  been  sub- 
jected to  heat,  were  all  the  implements  used  by  the 
local  blacksmiths. 

Towards  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  reached 
another  large  settlement  called  Tajao,  on  the  east  side 
of  a  big  lake,  separated  by  a  narrow  dune  from  the  Baro. 
The  Adjouba  river,  which  at  this  point  flows  into  the 
Baro,  is  usually  called  on  English  maps  Pibor,  which  is 
a  mistake,  a  mere  mispronunciation  of  Pibaro,  or  tri- 
butary of  the  Baro.  The  Sobat  is  merely  a  continua- 
tion of  the  Baro.  It  changes  its  name  west  of  the  place 
where  the  River  Akobo,  then  called  Adjouba  (Pibor), 
coming  from  the  south,  joins  the  Baro. 

After  an  interminable  stretch  over  burnt  grass, 
which  made  us  black  all  over  with  smuts  and  ashes,  we 
arrived  at  Jungmir,  or  Ajungmir.  The  Baro  here  flows 
due  west  after  passing  the  lake — or,  to  be  accurate,  marsh 
— on  its  south  bank,  separated  from  the  river  by  a  dune 
two  hundred  yards  across. 


26 1 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  population  of  Jungmir  consisted  mostly  of  Abigar, 
a  somewhat  more  powerfully  built  and  handsomer  race 
than  the  Nuer.  Over  the  left  shoulder  and  under  the 
right  arm  the  men  wore  a  bandolier  made  of  beads,  or 
else  of  rope,  with  many  amulets  attached  to  it.  Where 
beads  were  obtainable,  they  sometimes  wore  a  mere 
string  of  black  and  white  beads  as  a  bandolier,  and  I 
have  seen  women  wear  two  of  these  strings,  one  passed 
under  each  arm. 

In  the  way  of  feminine  attire,  they  attached  to  the 
waist  at  the  back  a  small  square  of  leopard  skin,  the 
triangular  tail  worn  by  the  Nuer  women  not  being  at 
all  fashionable  in  this  portion  of  the  country.  One  or 
two  strings  of  white  and  blue,  or  white  and  black,  beads 
were  worn  round  the  waist,  or  else  a  rope  with  a  knot 
behind,  the  same  as  with  the  Nuers,  with  whom  they 
have  many  customs  in  common.  The  cylindrical  piece 
of  wood  attached  to  this  rope  and  sticking  out  pro- 
minently in  front  was  also  to  be  seen  among  the  Abigar. 
Some  men  wore  a  string  of  beads  in  the  hair.  Armlets 
of  string,  with  pieces  of  wood  attached  to  them,  were 
carried  as  a  preventive  of  disease. 

The  Abigars  occasionally  use  a  bow,  but  no  arrows 
— which  seems  an  astonishing  statement,  but  is  never- 
theless true — the  bows  being  of  an  elaborate  shape,  with 


262  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

two  end  coils,  the  entire  bow,  quite  short  and  clumsy- 
looking,  being  wound  round  with  an  iron  band,  and  the 
string  itself  not  attached  to  the  bow,  but  to  two  strings 
fastened  across  the  two  end  coils.  When  I  examined 
the  bow,  it  showed  no  flexibility,  nor  did  the  man  who 
possessed  it  carry  any  arrows,  the  reason  being  that  this 
highly  ornamental  weapon  has  merely  been  devised  in 
order  to  ward  off  the  blows  of  war-clubs,  and  not  to 
propel  arrows — which  are  quite  unknown  to  the  Abigar 
— through  the  air. 

The  women  here  did  not  wear  quite  such  long  skirts 
of  beads  as  in  the  Nuer  country,  the  length  of  the  skirts 
among  the  Abigar  ladies  never  reaching  a  greater  length 
than  two  inches.  The  women  were  greatly  ornamented 
with  cicatrices,  especially  from  the  umbilicus  to  the 
breasts,  where  I  counted  as  many  as  twenty-four  parallel 
lines  in  two  sets  of  twelve  each.  Two  double  semi- 
circles were  sometimes  to  be  seen  near  the  breasts. 

The  men  were  frequently  ornamented  with  four 
lines  of  cicatrices  in  a  curve,  usually  following  the  shape 
of  the  shoulder-blades,  and  six  lines  of  heavy  dots  lower 
down  near  the  waist  behind. 

These  Abigar,  although  structurally  better  built 
than  the  Nuer,  possessed  badly-made  skulls,  much 
flattened  on  the  top  and  elongated  backwards,  the 
foreheads  slanting,  and  bumps  lower  down  in  the  back 
portion  of  the  skull  quite  abnormally  developed.  The 
development  of  the  brow  was  considerable  and  the 
upi^er  eyelid  heavy. 

These  people  had  a  peculiar  way  of  ornamenting  the 
ears,  sticking  seven  elongated  beads  like  small  darts 
all  along  the  outer  circle  of  the  ear  and  a  small  row 
of  beads  along  the  inner  curve.     Bandoliers  were  quite 


THE   ABIGAR  263 

the  fashion  here  also,  as  well  as  ivory  armlets  and  heavy 
iron  bracelets. 

Half  an  hour  after  we  had  started  from  our  camp 
we  came  to  a  troublesome  stream,  only  five  yards  wide, 
but  which  gave  us  no  end  of  bother.  We  had  here  again 
some  of  the  soft  sticky  mud  which  we  had  encountered 
in  some  of  the  Abyssinian  rivers.  It  was  impossible  to 
take  the  laden  mules  across,  for  they  got  frightened  as 
they  sank,  and  generally  ended  by  throwing  the  loads 
over  into  the  slush.  So  all  the  animals  had  to  be  un- 
loaded, and  each  package  carried  over  on  men's  heads, 
a  labour  of  great  difficulty,  as  the  men,  too,  had  a  hard 
struggle  to  get  across.  It  took  us  the  best  part  of  four 
hours  to  get  over  those  five  yards. 

On  the  other  side  of  this  swampy  stream  we  had  a 
terribly  hot  march  over  burnt-up  country.  Thousands 
of  birds  were  to  be  seen,  especially  near  the  river,  and 
the  caravan  caused  great  excitement  among  them  as  we 
passed  by.  There  were  again  large  Nuer  settlements, 
many  of  which  had  been  abandoned  and  new  settle- 
ments built  in  their  vicinity.  The  huts  had  large 
conical  roofs,  and  I  noticed  one  or  two  the  architecture 
of  which  resembled  that  of  Galla  houses,  the  walls  being 
formed  by  solid  wooden  pillars  close  together,  the  inter- 
stices filled  with  mud.  The  walls  of  most  of  the  smaller 
huts  were  of  reeds,  the  door  only  being  enclosed  in  a 
square  erection  of  dried  mud.  The  aperture  itself  was 
shaped  like  an  entire  oval. 

The  old  military  post  of  Nasser,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Sobat,  had  been  abandoned,  and  a  new  one  called 
Torfot  in  a  somewhat  healthier  position  had  been  estab- 
lished further  up  the  river. 

The  post  of  Torfot,  where  I  arrived  in  the  afternoon, 


264  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

consisted  of  a  number  of  thatched  mud  huts,  with  two 
small  gable-roofed  buildings  for  the  thirty-one  Sudanese 
soldiers  and  their  native  officer,  by  name  Hamdan 
Effendi,  who  acted  also  in  the  civil  capacity  of  mamur. 

Letters  from  the  Sirdar  and  the  Governor-General 
of  the  Upper  Nile  Province  had  been  waiting  here  for 
me  for  some  months,  and  when  I  arrived  I  received  a 
cordial  reception  from  the  native  officer  in  charge. 

The  Sirdar  most  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal  an 
iron  boat  which  had  been  sent  up  the  river,  and  also 
an  escort  of  Sudanese  soldiers.  The  Sirdar  had  gene- 
rously offered  me  an  escort  of  twenty-five  men  and  a 
native  officer  to  accompany  me  ;  but  I  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  availing  myself  of  the  offer,  for  which,  however, 
I  felt  deeply  grateful  to  the  Governor-General  of  the 
Sudan. 

Every  possible  kindness  was  showered  upon  me, 
owing  to  orders  received  from  Khartoum,  and  my  mules 
being  extremely  tired,  and  my  men  also,  I  accepted  the 
iron  boat  in  which  to  send  my  baggage  and  most  of  my 
men  down  the  river  as  far  as  the  Nile  under  an  escort 
of  a  few  Sudanese  soldiers.  As  far  as  I  was  concerned, 
I  continued  my  journey  overland  with  my  animals  and 
only  a  few  light  loads,  as  I  wished  to  visit  several  tribes 
both  on  the  north  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  Sobat. 

Torfot,  although  higher  on  the  banks  of  the  river  than 
most  other  places  on  the  Sobat,  was  swarming  with 
mosquitoes  of  all  sizes,  insects  of  all  kinds,  innumerable 
flies,  and  after  sunset  with  legions  of  moths  and  nocturnal 
aerial  life  of  every  description.  This  state  of  things  was 
troublesome  at  mealtime.  Drowning  insects  covered 
the  surface  of  liquids  in  one's  tumbler  or  cup,  and  one 
could  not  afford  to  throw  away  time  after  time  what  one 


MOSQUITOES  265 

possessed  in  the  way  of  food  and  drinks.  The  insects 
gave  the  drinks  a  pecuhar  flavour^  but  this  was  preferable 
to  the  incessant  dipping  in  of  one's  servant's  fingers  for 
the  removal  of  the  floating  creatures.  Of  the  food,  too, 
one  generally  ate  more  than  one  thought  or  knew,  in 
more  ways  than  one.  I  was  made  quite  ill  at  Torfot  by 
crushing  between  my  teeth  a  large  fetid-smelling  beetle 
which  left  a  sickening  taste  in  my  throat  and  palate  for 
some  hours  after.  In  breathing,  too,  even  through  the 
nose,  and  when  one  guards  oneself  against  opening  the 
mouth,  mosquitoes  and  midges  soon  find  their  way  in. 
At  night,  while  having  one's  dinner,  it  was  necessary 
to  keep  a  light  a  long  way  off  from  the  table.  Insects 
would  then  be  attracted  in  that  direction  and  allow 
comparative  peace. 

The  mosquitoes  were  so  numerous  and  troublesome 
that  even  under  a  stout  mosquito  netting  it  was  im- 
possible to  sleep  at  night.  Although  we  were  stung 
thousands  of  times  all  over  the  body,  at  this  place  and 
others  upon  the  river,  none  of  us  got  malarial  fever.  Yet 
these  were  the  very  mosquitoes  which  were  supposed  to 
be  the  great  carriers  of  malaria. 

On  March  19th  I  rode  away  from  Torfot  with  all  my 
mules.  My  Somali  boy,  with  most  of  my  men,  was 
despatched  by  river  in  charge  of  the  baggage  in  the 
boat. 

There  were  many  tobacco  plantations  along  the 
river  banks,  the  Nuer  going  in  extensively  for  the  cul- 
tivation of  tobacco.  Thousands  of  crocodiles  drowsed 
open-mouthed  along  the  banks,  and  innumerable  hippo- 
potami stuck  their  noses  and  ears  above  the  water. 
The  natives,  in  order  to  prevent  the  latter  from  climbing 
up  the  banks  and  destroying  their  plantations,   make 


266  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

scarecrows  of  straw,  either  representing  human  figures 
or  else  mere  bundles  of  sticks  dangling  in  the  wind  from 
posts  on  the  highest  point  of  the  bank.  I  killed  a  large 
crocodile  that  day  and  one  or  two  smaller  ones. 

As  we  were  nearing  Nasser,  I  came  to  a  great  many 
huts  and  villages  on  both  banks,  generally  in  groups  of 
two  or  three  fenced  off  within  a  reed  enclosure.  Again 
we  had  the  conical  roofs  in  parallel  horizontal  sec- 
tions, here  somewhat  smaller  and  numbering  from  nine 
to  ten  steps  in  the  gradation  of  cones.  The  reeds  of  the 
lowest  layer  projected  far  out,  so  as  to  prevent  the  rain 
striking  the  wall.  Like  Yambo  huts,  these  possessed 
a  small  private  courtyard,  with  a  roughly-constructed 
shelf,  whereon  we  deposited  gourd  vessels  and  grain  pots. 
Large  plaited  baskets  were  used  for  grain. 

A  curious  institution  were  the  roofless  summer  huts. 
Many  huts  had  the  interior  side  of  the  walls  plastered 
over  with  mud,  and  one  of  the  chief  characteristics  of 
these  particular  Nuer  tribes  near  Nasser  was  that  the 
outer  wall  (five  feet  high)  of  their  huts  was  plastered 
outside  for  only  a  quarter,  or  at  the  most  a  third,  of  the 
depth,  from  the  top  portion  directly  under  the  roof. 
This,  they  told  me,  was  in  order  to  prevent  leakage  in 
rainy  weather  from  water  which  might  come  from  the 
roof.  A  few  huts,  however,  I  saw  which  had  the  entire 
wall  plastered  over  both  on  the  interior  and  exterior 
faces. 

There  was  a  slight  difference  in  the  type  of  these 
Nuer,  and  they  did  not  generally  follow  the  custom 
of  smearing  themselves  all  over  with  ashes  like  the 
tribes  further  east.  It  was  not  uncommon,  however, 
to  see  men  painted  white  all  over,  except  for  a  dash  of 
grease  upon  the  chest,  which  gave  a  beautiful  black  shine 


NASSER  267 

to  the  undyed  skin,  and  a  half  moon  by  the  side  of  it. 
The  face  and  neck  were  painted  of  a  brilhant  red  colour 
— quite  a  ghastly  practice.  Another  fashion,  common 
among  these  people,  was  that  of  smearing  the  body  with 
butter  when  it  was  not  dyed  with  ashes.  The  skin 
became  then  beautifully  pohshed.  The  reason  all  these 
tribes  plastered  their  hair  into  a  point  was  merely  to 
remove  the  natural  kinks  and  curls  and  render  it  quite 
straight.     Also,  of  course,  to  bleach  it. 

I  arrived  in  the  evening  at  the  abandoned  post  of 
Nasser  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  Neat  mud  houses 
and  huts  had  been  erected — now  abandoned — as  well 
as  some  earthworks  for  the  protection  of  the  post.  The 
place  commanded  the  elbow  of  the  river,  being  situated 
in  the  central  point  of  the  angle.  It  was  an  unhealthy 
post,  the  damp  heat  being  quite  suffocating  even  on  the 
dryest  days  of  the  dry  season.  The  river  formed  a  kind 
of  delta,  with  an  elongated  island  in  the  centre  just  in 
front  of  Nasser. 

We  left  early  the  next  morning,  at  5.30,  passing  the 
stream  Uarkan  en  route,  and  towards  11.30  we  passed 
a  small  island  about  three  hundred  yards  long  in  the 
centre  of  the  river,  the  course  of  the  stream  being  ex- 
tremely tortuous  in  this  portion,  and  describing  exten- 
sive circles.  Along  the  river  banks  were  high  reeds. 
The  country  further  inland  was  barren,  but  after  a 
march  of  four  hours  west  of  Nasser  we  saw  a  few  trees 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  Sobat. 

A  good  deal  of  time  was  wasted  that  morning,  as  on 
the  march  I  discovered  that  one  of  my  best  mules  had 
strayed,  and  I  had  to  detail  four  men  to  go  and  look  for 
it  the  way  we  had  come. 

Naked    natives    ran    about    along    the    river    banks, 


268  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

greeting  us  with  their  typical  salutation,  similar  to  the 
gesture  we  usually  make  when  we  push  people  away, 
and  calling  out  "  bahve,  bahve."  These  people  were 
timid,  and  bolted  whenever  we  got  near.  Only  a  few 
times  were  we  able  to  approach  them,  but  after  they 
had  got  over  their  first  fright  they  seemed  jolly  enough. 

Like  all  other  Nuer  they  smeared  themselves  with 
white  stuff.  Their  type  was  finer  than  that  of  the  Nuer 
I  had  seen  further  east,  their  features  having  greatly 
improved  by  relationship  with  neighbouring  and  more 
civilized  tribes,  such  as  the  Adgira  and  the  Fallangue, 
but  principally  with  the  Shiluk,  a  dominant  race, 
formerly  very  powerful,  and  now  found  mainly  along  the 
Bahr-el-Ghazal  and  White  Nile.  This  mixed  type  was 
more  intelligent,  and  possessed  a  stronger  physique 
than  the  purer  Nuer  we  had  so  far  met.  As  a  tribal 
mark,  these  people  displayed  five  cuts  upon  the  fore- 
head extending  from  temple  to  temple,  and  they  wore 
similar  ornaments  to  other  Nuer. 

Many  of  them  had  large  swellings  on  the  temples  and 
at  the  back  of  the  ears,  where  the  lowest  horizontal 
cicatrice  of  the  forehead  ended,  and  also  on  the  shoulders 
and  breasts,  where  cicatrices  had  been  caused  with  a  hot 
implement.  These  swellings,  I  think,  were  not  inten- 
tional, but  merely  produced  by  poisoning  of  the  blood  in 
individuals  suffering  from  leprosy  or  serious  venereal 
complaints. 

The  people  of  the  Adgira  tribe  on  the  Pibor  river 
were  in  themselves  somewhat  repulsive,  with  faces 
extraordinarily  flat,  as  if  they  had  been  compressed 
artificially  into  so  ugly  a  shape.  They  possessed  fairly 
long  beards.  Their  shoulders  and  breasts  were  deco- 
rated with  cicatrices  in  concentric  arcs  of  a  circle,  going 


THE   ADGIRA  269 

over  the  shoulders  from  the  breasts  to  the  shoulder- 
blades.  These  cicatrice  marks  had  been  made  with  a 
red-hot  iron. 

The  most  characteristic  instrument  of  these  Adgira 
was  one  which  I  noticed  near  the  stream^  a  curious 
harpoon  and  bow  combined,  of  great  length,  some  ten 
feet  long,  with  a  barbed  hook  at  one  end. 

The  Nuer  of  this  region  were  somewhat  more  hairy, 
the  hair  of  the  head  particularly  being  much  longer  and 
finer  in  texture  than  that  of  the  other  Nuer,  but  in  their 
case,  too,  it  was  dyed  of  a  bright  red  colour. 

The  vanity  of  these  people  was  amazing.  I  saw  two 
men  with  brass  bracelets  so  tight  round  the  forearm 
that  the  circulation  had  almost  ceased,  and  the  hands 
had  got  swollen  and  almost  atrophied.  In  two  cases, 
which  came  under  my  observation,  these  bracelets  had 
actually  cut  into  the  flesh  at  the  wrist,  and  when  I  asked 
the  owners  why  they  did  not  remove  them,  as  the  hand 
was  getting  absolutely  paralyzed,  they  said  they  would 
rather  lose  the  use  of  their  hands  altogether  than  remove 
such  a  becoming  ornament.  They  said  it  had  been  there 
from  their  earliest  days  and  they  would  stick  to  it. 

There  is  no  accounting  for  people's  tastes,  and 
fashions  in  all  countries  are  responsible  for  much  idiotic 
suffering. 


270 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

The  river  was  simply  swarming  with  crocodiles.  We 
had  a  heavy  thunderstorm  during  the  afternoon  and 
another  equally  bad  in  the  night.  The  rain  came  down 
in  torrents.  Late  in  the  evening  the  lost  mule  was 
recovered  and  brought  back  to  camp. 

On  March  2ist  I  travelled  over  absolutely  flat,  barren 
country,  the  soil  consisting  of  dried  mud  much  cut  up 
into  huge  cracks.  There  were  only  a  few  Nuer  settle- 
ments, and  isolated  huts  here  and  there  with  walls  made 
of  logs  of  wood  plastered  inside  the  hut  with  mud.  Some 
of  these  huts  had  an  additional  porch  over  the  door,  so 
that  a  double  aperture  had  to  be  gone  through  on 
entering  the  dwelling. 

After  four  hours'  marching  we  came  to  a  lot  of  stunted 
gherar  trees,  their  stems  quite  red,  having  been  rendered 
so  by  the  grass  fires.  My  animals  were  faring  badly,  as 
away  from  the  stream  there  was  no  grazing,  the  grass 
which  had  not  been  burnt  by  fire  being  absolutely  dried 
up  by  the  sun. 

Outside  the  huts  were  frequently  to  be  noticed  heavily 
built  platforms,  where  thatching  straw  and  reeds  were 
spread  to  dry,  and  where  pots,  pans  and  gourd  vessels 
were  kept.  As  we  went  along,  the  larger  houses  were 
built  of  logs  of  wood  close  together,  well  plastered  with 


SHWAI  271 

mud  inside.  The  roofs  were  conical,  and  in  the  interior 
was  a  circle  of  pillars  supporting  the  roof.  Within  this 
circle  was  another  circle,  with  a  raised  edge,  and  within 
this  third  circle  a  fireplace,  the  ashes  of  which  were  care- 
fully collected,  to  be  subsequently  used  in  the  Nuer 
toilette. 

We  arrived  at  Shwai  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
after  a  long  tedious  march,  with  nothing  interesting  to 
see.  We  did  not  follow  the  river  bank,  as  it  made  a 
great  detour  here.  We  cut  our  way  across  country,  only 
touching  on  the  stream  twice  during  the  whole  march. 

The  doors  of  the  huts  generally  faced  west,  but  some- 
times north.  When  facing  north,  a  small  peephole  was 
generally  found  towards  the  west,  especially  in  the 
bigger  houses.  These  Nuer  collect  honey,  but  not  in 
large  quantities. 

At  Gogognar  (Gouemiar  on  Marchand's  map),  about 
half  way  along  our  march  that  day,  we  found  good 
grazing  in  a  low  land,  with  fine,  fresh,  green  grass.  Here 
there  were  hundreds  of  cattle  belonging  to  Nuer. 

In  order  to  rest  my  mules  as  much  as  possible,  I  had 
sent  all  my  provisions,  as  well  as  my  tents  and  other 
baggage,  by  the  steel  felucca^  and  had  fixed  Shwai  as 
the  rendezvous,  where  we  of  the  caravan  were  to  strike 
the  river  again.  When  I  had  last  seen  the  felucca  early 
in  the  morning  the  wind  was  fair,  and  I  expected  that 
she  would  reach  the  place  long  before  we  did. 

Unfortunately  the  wind  fell,  and  we  waited  anxiously 
for  the  arrival  of  the  provisions.  Our  eyes  were  strained 
to  watch  on  the  horizon-line  for  the  white  sail  to  appear  ; 
but  night  came,  and  with  it  the  usual  swarms  of  mos- 
quitoes to  devour  us,  but  no  felucca  was  in  sight.  We 
were  ravenously  hungry,  and  we  had  nothing  whatever 


272  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

to  eat.  We  lighted  a  grass  fire  to  wliile  away  the  time 
and  smolce  ourselves  so  as  to  keep  off  mosquitoes.  Once 
or  twice  we  thought  we  heard  voices  upon  the  stream, 
but  they  turned  out  to  be  only  those  of  natives  fishing 
in  their  dug-outs. 

We  spent  a  wretched  night,  my  men  having  eaten 
nothing  for  two  days  and  I  for  twenty-four  hours,  during 
which  time  we  had  marched  over  forty  miles  on  foot  in 
the  broiling  sun,  as  the  soil  was  so  cut  up  by  huge  cracks 
that  riding  was  uncomfortable,  the  animals  continually 
tumbling  down. 

To  make  things  worse  during  the  night,  we  had  a 
terrific  thunderstorm,  which  blew  down  the  only  small 
shelter  tent  I  was  using,  and  which  soaked  us  to  the 
marrow  of  our  bones. 

It  was  not  till  March  22nd,  at  8  a.m.,  that  the  felucca 
arrived.  We  immediately  set  about  preparing  a  hearty 
meal,  which  we  much  needed. 

From  the  spot  where  we  had  camped  we  saw  a  good- 
sized  island  in  mid-stream  about  half  a  mile  above 
Shwai,  a  little  village  of  six  huts  or  so.  Another  elon- 
gated island  was  also  found  further  down-stream  beyond 
Shwai. 

I  started  again  with  my  mules  at  ten  o'clock,  this 
time  taking  provisions  to  provide  for  eventualities.  The 
country  was,  as  usual,  fiat  and  uninteresting,  with  patches 
of  good  grass  here  and  there,  and  some  gherar  trees. 
Any  number  of  antelopes  were  to  be  seen.  At  1.35  in  the 
afternoon  we  came  to  Yakuaje  (Marchand's  Yakouetch), 
a  village  of  about  three  dozen  plastered  huts  belonging 
to  a  Denka  tribe,  the  Fallanghe,  as  they  call  themselves. 
At  this  point  we  again  encountered  the  stream,  having 
left  it  at  Shwai,  from  which  place  it  described  a  great 


THE   AIWAL  273 

detour  northwards.  A  small  island  stood  in  mid-stream 
in  front  of  Yakuaje.  The  huts  of  these  people  were 
similar  in  construction  to  Nuer  huts,  only  larger,  with 
plastered  walls  upon  an  interior  frame  of  wood  and  mud, 
and  with  a  conical  roof  in  eight  or  ten  concentric  sec- 
tions. They  seemed  to  have  no  special  rule  here  for 
the  location  of  the  door,  and  it  generally  opened  on  the 
side  found  most  convenient  in  their  relations  with  the 
inhabitants  of  other  huts.  Each  hut  had  four  peep- 
holes around  its  walls,  so  that  a  view  could  be  obtained 
on  all  sides  from  the  interior.  Each  hut  possessed  a  sort 
of  fenced-off  courtyard,  subdivided  into  two  sections, 
one  where  the  out-of-door  cooking  was  done,  the  other 
used  as  a  store  for  building  materials.  Inside  the  hut 
itself,  in  the  centre,  were  some  wooden  planks,  upon 
which  the  people  slept. 

We  were  now  one  day's  journey  from  Abwong,  and 
we  were  in  the  country  of  the  Aiwal  tribe,  people  who  in 
many  ways  resembled  the  Nuer,  and  who  also  smeared 
themselves  all  over  with  a  mixture  of  cinders  from  sheep 
and  cow  dung.  It  is  true  that  all  these  tribes  indulge 
in  this  practice  in  part  to  protect  themselves  against 
mosquitoes,  but  I  think  that  the  primary  motive  is 
merely  vanity. 

Like  the  Nuer,  these  people  use  five  parallel  cuts 
upon  the  forehead  as  a  tribal  mark.  The  women  plaster 
the  hair  on  the  top  of  the  head  with  red  mud,  leaving 
curls  at  the  side  of  the  face.  The  men  are  fond  of 
wearing  a  crown  of  shells  encircling  the  tuft  of  hair  at 
the  back  of  the  head.  The  temples  and  the  greater 
portion  of  the  skull  are  shaved.  Heavy  bracelets  are 
worn,  and,  as  among  the  last  tribes  of  Nuer  we  had 
visited,  these   people  wore   rings   and   bracelets   of   an 

VOL.    I.  18 


274  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

inconvenient  shape,  with  two  long  projecting  points 
sticking  out  in  representation  of  the  horns  of  oxen. 

These  people  have  a  few  primitive  implements,  such 
as  a  small  shovel  and  an  axe  with  a  triangular  blade. 
The  primitive  pipes,  with  a  cooling  chamber  for  the 
smoke  near  the  mouthpiece,  are  also  to  be  noticed. 

Inside  their  huts  there  is  nothing  in  the  way  of  fur- 
niture, the  few  implements  being  stored  under  the  small 
porch  at  the  entrance  of  the  hut.  In  the  abode,  when 
one  becomes  accustomed  to  the  dim  light,  a  central 
circle  is  visible  where  the  white  ashes  for  decorating  the 
body  are  kept,  and  a  raised  border  on  which  at  night  are 
placed  two  or  more  scooped-out  planks  of  the  roughest 
description,  which  they  use  as  beds.  Only  in  one  or  two 
huts  did  I  see  an  oblong  tripod  with  short  legs  used  as  a 
stool,  and  in  another  hut  I  saw  a  four-legged  seat  cut  out 
of  a  single  piece  of  wood.  Outside,  where  the  people 
spend  most  of  their  time,  I  noticed  several  arm  and  knee 
rests,  which  the  people  use  in  order  to  be  comfortable 
while  sitting  upon  the  ground.  The  only  other  article 
of  furniture  which  I  could  perceive  in  my  search  was  a 
small  wooden  head-pillow,  or  rather  neck-rest. 

In  this  village  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  blacksmith,  a 
person  who  appeared  quite  abruti,  as  the  French  so 
exactly  describe  people  who  combine  degeneracy,  idiocy 
and  rascality  in  their  personal  appearance  ;  he  showed, 
however,  some  dexterity  in  sharpening  spear-heads  like 
razors  by  hammering  them,  although  his  only  tools  were 
a  coarse  hammer  and  an  anvil. 

Within  the  outer  enclosure  of  each  hut  were  numerous 
pegs  to  which  goats  and  dogs — which  swarm  in  Aiwal 
villages — were  tied  at  night,  as  well  as  great  numbers  of 
oxen  and  cows. 


SHARP-WITTED   CROCODILES  275 

Soon  after  leaving  the  village,  next  day,  we  were 
charged  by  three  or  four  hundred  of  these  half-wild 
oxen,  and  we  had  difficulty  in  keeping  them  at  bay. 
These  charges  were  a  frequent  experience  in  our  march 
across  the  Nuer  and  Aiwal  country,  and  I  was  always 
amazed  at  the  pluck  of  my  mules  on  these  occasions. 
They  never  stampeded.  When  they  saw  the  animals 
approach  they  formed  a  circle,  placing  their  heads  to- 
gether, and  using  their  heels  freely  and  effectually  upon 
the  attacking  animals  when  they  came  too  near. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  only  about  two 
hundred  yards  from  us,  we  saw  a  big  herd  of  giraffes. 

As  the  heat  had  been  so  great  during  the  march,  and 
as  I  had  walked  a  great  deal  owing  to  the  bad  condition 
of  the  ground,  I  went,  notwithstanding  the  crocodiles, 
to  have  a  refreshing  bath  in  the  stream  at  sunset.  It  was 
a  stupid  thing  to  do,  I  know,  and  the  consequences  nearly 
turned  out  more  serious  than  I  expected  ;  but  life  would 
not  be  worth  living  unless  one  occasionally  did  stupid 
things. 

I  selected,  of  course,  a  place  where  the  river  was 
shallow,  and  it  amused  me  to  watch  how  sharp-witted 
crocodiles  were.  They  waited  till  I  had  smeared  myself 
all  over  with  soap — especially  the  face— and  whenever 
I  stooped  to  pour  water  on  my  head,  a  number  of  them, 
eight  or  ten,  quickly  advanced  in  a  semicircle  round 
me,  only  just  the  tip  of  their  noses  being  visible  on  the 
surface.  They  were  getting  nearer  and  nearer  without 
making  the  slightest  noise,  and  at  a  moment  when  a  lot 
of  soap  had  got  into  my  eyes,  and  I  was  trying  to  wash 
it  off,  they  had  advanced  to  within  two  or  three  yards 
of  me. 

Crocodiles  are  timid  brutes,  and  it  was  sufficient  to 
VOL.   I.  18* 


276  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

keep  your  eye  on  them  or  pretend  to  throw  something, 
or  shout,  and  they  would  duck  under  water  and  dis- 
appear. They  soon  peeped  out  of  the  water  again  and 
advanced  once  more,  waiting  for  a  moment  when  they 
could  get  you  unawares.  Within  a  few  feet  of  the  place 
where  I  was  the  stream  was  quite  deep.  When  I  had 
been  in  the  water  some  minutes  the  number  of  crocodiles 
had  rapidly  increased.  One  can  always  tell  by  the 
bubbles  of  air  coming  up  to  the  surface,  and  also  by  the 
series  of  angles  quickly  reproduced  upon  the  surface, 
and  formed  by  the  nose  of  the  crocodile,  as  it  moves 
along,  slightly  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  I  deemed 
it  wiser  to  come  out  and  finish  my  bath  in  a  safer  place. 

When  I  got  up  on  the  high  bank  of  the  stream  and 
looked  down  into  the  water,  I  fully  realized  how  foolish 
I  had  been,  as  a  regular  swarm  of  crocodiles  had  collected. 
The  river  was  simply  full  of  them,  and  we  saw  hundreds 
and  hundreds  every  day.  In  this  portion  of  the  river 
crocodiles  seemed  particularly  numerous  and  of  quite 
impressive  proportions.  They  were,  however,  most 
dangerous  to  humans  when  out  of  the  water,  where  they 
could  strike  and  stun  them  with  their  powerful  tail,  and 
then  drag  them  in. 

Large  antelopes  were  to  be  seen  in  great  numbers, 
and  elephants,  lions  and  ostriches  were  common. 

The  Aiwal,  perhaps,  were  not  quite  so  tall  as  the  pure 
Nuer,  but  they  possessed  finer  features.  They  were 
slightly  more  intelligent,  and  certainly  more  friendly 
towards  us  than  the  tribes  further  east,  although  they, 
too,  refused  to  sell  anything  whatever  to  us.  It  is 
possibly  intermarriage  with  the  Anuak  or  other  tribes 
to  the  south  which  has  somewhat  benefited  the  type  in 
this  region. 


/.     "^  '■ 


ABYSSINIAN   CRUELTY  277 

During  the  night  we  had  another  terrific  rainstorm, 
which  blew  down  my  tent  several  times,  and  eventually 
smashed  my  tent  poles.  Rain  came  down  in  sheets, 
and  we  and  our  things  got  drenched.  The  heavy  rain 
made  travelling  unpleasant,  as  the  sticky  mud  made 
marching  heavy  for  my  mules,  although  most  of  them 
carried  nothing  on  their  backs.  We  covered  great 
distances  daily.  We  kept  sinking  in  mud  and  slush  up 
to  our  knees  all  the  time.  The  country  was  barren,  with 
no  decent  grazing  for  the  animals  ;  only  here  and  there 
were  patches  of  gherar  trees  so  close  together  that  they 
tore  our  clothes  when  we  forced  our  way  through.  Then 
we  came  to  more  interminable  plains,  with  not  a  blade 
of  grass.  Several  of  my  mules  were  taken  ill,  and  the 
finest  animal  I  possessed,  which  seemed  to  be  in  intense 
pain,  collapsed,  and  we  could  not  make  him  get  up  again. 
I  left  two  men  to  take  care  of  him,  but  they  joined  us 
again  in  the  afternoon,  bringing  with  them  the  severed 
tail  of  the  animal  as  a  proof  of  his  death.  Another  mule 
also  collapsed,  and  in  an  hour  or  so  was  dead. 

The  heat  was  so  terrific  that  day  that  I  had  to  halt 
for  a  few  hours,  and  here  again  I  had  sufficient  evidence 
of  the  cruelty  of  Abyssinians,  my  own  men,  of  course. 
A  pariah  Yambo — a  wretched  leper — had  attached 
himself  to  my  caravan,  picking  up  in  camp  whatever 
food  he  could  get.  I  never  had  the  courage  to  drive  him 
away,  and  eventually  the  Abyssinians  got  the  poor 
fellow  to  do  most  of  the  hard  work  for  them.  To  my 
amazement  and  disgust,  I  found  that  my  cook  had  en- 
trusted him  with  the  making  of  the  paste  of  our  daily 
bread,  which  he  did  with  his  cramped  and  sore  fingers. 
Of  course,  the  bread  was  that  day  thrown  away,  and 
my   Abyssinians   received   a   fine   lecture.     During   the 


278  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

night,  when  I  was  lying  down,  I  heard  angry  cries,  fol- 
lowed by  pitiful  moans.  Upon  investigating  the  cause 
of  the  trouble,  I  discovered  the  poor  leper  lying  helpless 
upon  the  ground  kicked  on  the  head  and  body  by  the 
cowardly  Abyssinians.  The  Abyssinians  were  severely 
punished  for  it,  and  to  prevent  a  revenge  being  taken 
upon  the  wretched  Yambo,  I  had  to  keep  him  all  night 
at  the  entrance  of  my  tent. 

Lepers,  as  you  know,  have  a  most  peculiar,  sickly, 
typical  odour,  which  can  be  detected  at  a  great  distance. 
This  new  arrangement  was  inconvenient  enough,  as  I 
could  not  sleep  owing  to  the  offensive  smell.  I  was 
afraid  to  let  him  out  of  my  reach,  as  the  Abyssinians 
had  sworn  to  kill  him  as  soon  as  opportunity  offered. 

One  day,  as  we  were  marching,  the  Yambo  remained 
behind.  The  Abyssinians,  seizing  the  opportune  mo- 
ment, pounced  upon  him.  By  a  mere  chance  I  sus- 
pected that  something  was  up,  and  I  went  back  upon 
my  steps.  I  found  the  poor  Yambo  badly  knocked 
about,  and  saved  him  just  as  they  were  about  to  cut  his 
throat. 

From  that  moment  I  never  let  him  out  of  my 
sight.  The  poor  fellow  gave  me  endless  pain.  He  was 
shedding  bitter  tears  all  the  time,  and  was  so  de- 
pressed that  he  would  eat  nothing.  He  had  made  up 
his  mind  to  die  of  starvation.  Twice  I  had  to  rescue 
him  from  the  river  where  he  had  thrown  himself  in  order 
to  get  drowned  ;  although  I  must  say  that  for  a  man 
who  wanted  to  commit  suicide  he  showed  no  reluctance 
whatever  to  being  saved.  I  asked  him  why  he  let  me 
take  him  out  of  the  water  so  soon,  if  he  really  intended 
to  die.  He  said  that  as  soon  as  he  had  jumped  into  the 
water  he  was  afraid  the  crocodiles  would  bite  him,  and 


AN   OUTCAST  279 

he  was  glad  to  be  pulled  out  again.  He  did  not  mind 
dying — oh,  no  ! — but  crocodiles  hurt  so  when  they  bite  ! 
After  these  baths  he  generally  received  a  good  fill  of  rice 
and  butter.  He  then  forgot  the  idea  of  death  by  star- 
vation ]  indeed  he  did  !  I  noticed  that  his  suicidal 
mania  was  getting  worse  and  worse,  and  there  were 
prospects  of  further  plunges  into  the  water,  so  that, 
divining  his  thoughts,  I  seized  him  one  day  by  the  neck, 
shook  him  violently,  and  made  him  understand  that  next 
time  he  wanted  to  commit  suicide  I  would  see  that  it 
was  carried  out  properly,  and  that  he  did  not  come  to 
the  surface  again,  which  cured  him  once  for  all  of  this 
bad  habit. 

Well,  I  had  to  be  patient  with  him,  but  really  he  w^as 
an  infliction  upon  me  that  I  did  not  deserve.  With 
moans  and  groans  he  would  daily  repeat  to  me  the 
history  of  his  life — and  heaven  knows  how  many 
histories  of  other  people's  lives  I  had  heard  before  ! 
His  was  quite  pathetic,  what  there  was  of  it.  He  was 
evidently  an  outcast  in  his  own  tribe,  and  had  been 
discarded  by  a  young  lady  whom  he  loved  dearly,  and 
who  loved  him  much,  he  thought,  but  who  married 
somebody  else  who  possessed  more  cows  and  oxen. 

Such  ways  of  young  ladies  have  been  known  even 
outside  the  Yambo  country. 


28o 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  Aiwal  are  not  unlike  the  Shiluk,  whom  we  shall 
meet  presently  on  our  journey.  They  speak  the  Shiluk 
tongue,  whereas  the  Anuak  have  a  different  language, 
although  some  tribes  of  the  latter  speak  a  sort  of  com- 
posite language  of  Shiluk  and  Anuak.  They  appeared 
to  me  a  mixture  of  Nuer  and  Denka. 

Near  Abwong  there  is  a  local  legend  that  the  Nuer, 
the  Shiluk  and  the  Denka  all  came  from  one  father, 
who  was  the  happy  possessor  of  one  cow,  a  calf  (female) 
and  a  boat.  When  the  old  man  died,  he  left  the  cow 
to  the  Nuer,  the  calf  to  the  Denka,  and  the  boat  to  the 
Shiluk.  The  Shiluk  was  satisfied,  and  went  away  from 
the  others  ;  while  the  Denka  and  the  Nuer  went  to  war, 
each  son  declaring  that  the  father  had  meant  the  big 
cow  to  go  to  him  ;  and  up  to  the  present  day  those 
tribes  are  still  more  or  less  at  war,  the  question  not 
having  yet  been  settled. 

The  Denka  are  sulky  and  sullen  people.  A  Denka 
will  not  rise  to  salute  you  when  you  enter  his  hut, 
but  will  remain  sitting  down  motionless  and  silent, 
and  so  will  all  the  other  inmates  of  the  hut.  After 
some  moments,  the  words  "  Ba  uti  ?  "  are  uttered 
("  From  what  village  do  you  come  ?  ") — "  uti  "  meaning 
"  village,"  and  "  ba,"  "  where."     The  answer  a  stranger 


THE   BAIGN  AND   THE    TIET  281 

gives  is  merely  "  Hehn."  Then  the  host,  after  a  long 
pause,  inquires  "  Shinnin  ?  "  ("  In  good  health  ?  ")  ; 
to  which  another  answer  of  "  Hehn  "  is  expected,  and 
this  is  all  the  conversation  that  takes  place. 

It  is  difficult  to  get  information  from  these  people, 
as  they  are  suspicious  and  never  speak  the  truth,  but 
try  to  mislead  you,  or  evade  your  questions.  An 
ulterior  motive  is  always  suspected  even  in  the  most 
trivial  matters. 

The  chieftainship  among  Denka  is  hereditary,  and 
descends  from  father  to  son  ;  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
individual  independence  about  these  people,  and,  except 
in  time  of  war,  the  chief  has  but  a  nominal  power  among 
them.  More  important  than  the  chief  with  these  people 
is  the  baign — a  wise  man,  almost  a  human  deity,  who  is 
well  in  with  the  gods  above.  He  is  a  sort  of  magician 
and  medicine-man,  and  provides  remedies  in  the  shape 
of  peculiar  roots  and  pieces  of  wood  dipped  in  water. 
He  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  tiet^  a  kind  of 
medicine-woman,  who  makes  incantations  and  supplies 
people  with  small  pieces  of  wood  worn  as  charms  or 
amulets.  The  tiet,  who  is  always  a  woman,  prays  to 
Denka  deities  by  squatting  down  and  murmuring  words 
that  no  other  Denka  understands. 

Quarrels  and  rows  of  any  kind  are  referred  for 
settlement  to  the  baign.  Like  the  chieftainship  of  the 
tribe,  the  title  of  baign  descends  from  father  to  son.  The 
tiet  is  consulted  mainly  on  agricultural  expectations, 
when  she  makes  exorcisms  during  the  full  moon.  If  her 
prayers  are  answered  by  the  gods,  the  people  give  her 
a  present  of  food-stuff ;  if  not,  she  receives  nothing. 

The  Denka  attribute  dreams  to  the  presence  of  God 
during  one's  sleep  for  the  purpose  of  giving  one  plea- 


282  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

sure  ;  when  the  dreams  are  bad,  they  maintain  that  it 
is  because  God  is  angry  at  some  evil  deed  the  dreamer 
has  committed.  Lunacy  they  explain  by  the  devil, 
dyok,  entering  the  body  of  the  sufferer. 

These  people,  although  possessing  a  god  of  their 
own,  have  vague  ideas  on  what  becomes  of  the  soul 
after  death,  or  whether  transmission  or  transmigration 
of  the  soul  into  other  bodies  takes  place.  They  firmly 
believe  that  once  buried,  everything  is  over,  although 
they  say  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  relatives  some- 
times come  out  of  the  ground  and  can  be  perceived  in 
dreams. 

When  a  man  dies  the  relations  cry  spasmodically 
for  one  or  more  months.  They  sacrifice  several  cows 
in  front  of  his  house,  making  substantial  meals  out  of 
them.  For  the  loss  of  women,  animals  are  sometimes 
sacrificed,  sometimes  not.  More  often  not.  When  a 
Denka  dies,  he  is  buried  in  a  sitting  posture,  upright, 
with  arms  bent  upwards,  in  a  small  circular  or  quad- 
rangular hole  near  his  house,  the  head  being  not  more 
than  two  feet  underground. 

In  order  to  get  married,  a  Denka  of  good  position 
must  pay  from  ten  to  twenty  cows  for  a  young  healthy 
wife  with  no  impedimenta,  but  for  an  older  woman  with 
children,  four  or  five  cows  at  the  outside  are  deemed 
sufficient  remuneration.  The  father  of  the  bride,  her 
brothers  and  uncles,  divide  the  acquired  animals  among 
them.  Denka  often  intermarry  with  neighbouring  tribes. 
But  if  a  Denka  wants  to  marry  a  Nuer  woman,  he  must 
be  rich,  because  a  calf  a  year  must  be  paid  for  every 
child  that  is  born,  as  well  as  one  cow,  so  that  if  all  goes 
smoothly  after  twenty  years  and  nine  months  of  married 
life  he  has  to  pay  as  many  as  twenty  calves  and  one 


EXORCISMS  283 

coWj  which,  added  to  the,  sa}^,  twenty  cows  which  he 
had  to  hand  over  on  his  marriage  day,  make  the  cost 
of  these  mixed  marriages  almost  prohibitive. 

There  are  curious  laws  regarding  seduction.  If 
children  are  born  before  marriage,  the  father  of  the  girl 
is  entitled  to  take  possession  of  all  the  cattle  of  the 
youth's  father.  When  uncertainty  exists  as  to  who  the 
father  really  is,  they  go  to  the  baign,  who,  with  spear 
and  ashes  of  dung  in  hand,  receives  the  plaintiffs 
and  accused.  By  these  articles  he  swears  all  parties 
to  speak  the  truth.  He  who  lies  will  be  devoured  by 
crocodiles,  lions  or  some  other  wild  animal,  or  else 
be  stung  to  death  by  a  scorpion  or  snake.  Plenty  of 
varieties  of  death  are  offered  to  the  offender.  If  one  of 
the  two  or  more  suspected  persons  dies  within  a  reason- 
able time,  say,  three  or  four  months,  or  even  up  to  two 
years  from  the  date  of  the  exorcisms  made  by  the  baign, 
the  dead  man  is  considered  guilty,  and  all  his  father's 
property  is  seized  and  handed  over  to  the  young  lady's 
parents.  If,  however,  it  can  be  satisfactorily  proved 
that  the  young  lady  was  in  the  wrong  and  seduced  the 
young  man,  then  nothing  happens  and  the  child  is  sup- 
ported by  hervfamily. 

Unlike  married  couples  in  Europe,  who  generally 
prefer  to  have  boys,  Denka  parents  always  wish  for 
daughters,  as  women  are  valuable  assets  in  the  Denka 
country,  and  bring  in  lots  of  cows  at  marriage.  Unions 
are  celebrated  by  a  feast,  when  a  cow  is  killed  and  large 
quantities  of  an  alcoholic  drink,  the  mhau,  made  from 
fermented  Indian  corn,  are  consumed. 

Denka  wives,  they  tell  me,  are  faithful.  Local  laws 
allow  the  slaughtering  of  an  unfaithful  wife  with  no 
trial  of  any  kind.     The  first  wife  is  the  important  one 


284  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

in  the  family,  and  her  husband  cannot  marry  again  with- 
out her  permission  ;  but  he  can  always  do  so,  even  if 
she  were  to  refuse  her  consent,  by  having  distant  and 
separate  households  for  each  of  his  women. 

Girls  have  no  sexual  connection  until  puberty.  A 
father  can  buy  a  child  for  his  son,  if  the  latter  cannot 
have  children  of  his  own,  by  paying  so  many  cows,  and 
letting  the  bride's  father  become  the  possessor  of  the 
calves  which  are  born,  as  well  as  leaving  to  him  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  milk  from  the  cows. 

The  Denka  are  primitive  people.  They  still  light  a 
fire  by  friction  of  two  pieces  of  andarah  wood.  They 
make  a  hole  in  one  piece  and  place  dry  grass  upon  it, 
and  then  obtain  a  fire  by  quickly  revolving  a  vertical  rod 
until  ignition  takes  place.  When  andarah  wood,  which 
is  the  most  suitable  to  obtain  a  fire  rapidly,  is  not  pro- 
curable, the}^  use  wood  of  the  cotton  tree,  the  alaht, 
instead. 

The  years  are  reckoned  by  the  rainy  season,  which 
comes  fairly  regularly  at  the  same  time  of  the  year,  and 
the  smaller  subdivisions  by  the  moon. 

Like  the  Nuer,  the  Denka  smear  themselves  all  over 
with  ashes  of  cow  dung,  the  arob,  which  they  say  gives 
a  cooling  sensation  to  the  skin.  This  must  be  so,  as, 
if  it  does  nothing  else,  it  dries  the  abundant  oily  ex- 
cretion from  the  skin. 

They  have  little  idea  of  the  origin  of  diseases,  all 
of  which  are  put  down  to  God's  anger.    Not  so  accidents. 

If  a  Denka  breaks  his  arms  or  legs,  he  has  sufficient 
surgical  knowledge  to  place  the  broken  limb  between 
wooden  splints,  and  then  bandage  it  up  with  the  fibrous 
leaves  of  some  aquatic  plant.  This  is  generally  done  by 
a  man  called  the  atet^  which  means  "  a  clever  man," 


THE   FIRE   CURE  285 

the  shining  hght  of  every  village.  He  tries  to  force  the 
bones  back  into  their  original  position,  and  Nature  does 
the  rest. 

Many  Denka  suffer  from  dropsy,  and  abnormal  en- 
largement of  the  stomach  is  frequently  noticeable. 
There  is  a  special  woman,  a  sort  of  midwife,  who  ties 
the  umbilicus  of  children  at  birth,  but  it  is  done  in  no 
scientific  way,  and  no  doubt,  as  I  have  stated  elsewhere, 
many  of  the  enormous  swellings  of  the  lower  portion  of 
the  body  are  due  to  the  improper  way  in  which  this 
primary  operation  is  performed. 

The  Denka  are  fond  of  using  fire  as  a  remedy  for 
pains  in  various  parts  of  the  body.  Occasionally  they 
perform  surgical  operations  with  rudimentary  knives. 
In  amputating  a  finger,  or  the  hand,  they  have  suffi- 
cient sense  to  tie  the  limb  tightly  somewhat  lower  than 
the  point  where  the  operation  has  to  be  performed. 
No  sooner  is  the  portion  of  the  limb  removed  than  fire 
is  applied  to  the  exposed  raw  portion,  in  order  to  stop 
the  bleeding. 

Any  number  of  lepers  are  to  be  found  in  the  Denka 
country.  Chest  complaints  are  frequent  and  serious. 
All  these  people,  in  fact,  are  more  or  less  weak-chested, 
or,  at  any  rate,  all  are  undeveloped  round  the  chest. 

When  hungry,  the  Denka  pull  a  rope  tight  round  the 
waist.  They  call  it  the  wuien.  They  are  great  believers 
in  the  evil-eye,  and  they  carry,  attached  to  their  brace- 
lets or  armlets,  a  uall,  a  piece  of  wood  which  has  counter- 
balancing effects  against  that  superstition. 

The  Denka  were  at  one  time  great  fighters.  Before 
going  into  battle  they  danced  and  sang  war  melodies 
and  beat  the  tam-tam.  Even  to  this  day  they  fight 
with   spears,   and   show  great   skill   in   handling   them. 


286  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Their  shields  are  made  of  giraffe,  elephant  or  hippo- 
potamus hide,  sometimes  of  crocodile  skin.  In  dances 
the  men  perform  in  the  centre,  the  women  in  a  circle 
around  them.  They  hop  about  one  after  the  other, 
first  with  the  hands  up,  then  with  both  hands  upon  the 
chest,  men  and  women  facing  each  other. 

When  the  Denka  hear  thunder,  they  say  it  is  God 
warning  people  that  rain  is  coming,  which  shows  some 
sense  on  their  part  ;  but  also  they  believe  that  thunder 
is  caused  by  God  fighting  minor  gods,  whom  they  place 
in  Paradise  not  unlike  chiefs  of  celestial  villages. 

The  Denka  break  the  four  lower  front  teeth  root  and 
all,  as  they  say  God  wishes  it.  I  think  it  is  done  mostly 
to  promote  respiration  through  the  nose,  and  to  allow 
the  prominent  lips  to  be  closed,  where  they  would  remain 
wide  open  in  their  natural  condition. 

The  Denka  are  good  sportsmen.  Entire  villages  go 
in  a  body  after  elephants.  The  owner  of  the  first  spear 
thrust  into  the  elephant  becomes  the  proprietor  of  the 
right  tusk,  the  one  who  owns  the  second  spear  receives 
the  left  tusk,  while  all  the  other  huntsmen  are  merely 
entitled  to  divide  the  meat  among  themselves.  Covered 
pits  are  cleverly  constructed  both  for  elephants  and 
hippopotami.  They  prize  the  meat  of  these  animals. 
When  pursuing  hippopotami,  they  use  barbed  harpoons, 
with  a  long  rope  attached  to  them,  the  other  end  of  the 
rope  being  attached  to  an  empty  canoe.  In  surveying 
the  river  one  or  two  days  after  the  hunt,  they  recover 
the  canoe,  sometimes  dragged  away  for  long  distances 
by  the  hippopotamus,  which  is  very  much  weakened,  if 
not  dead.  In  either  case,  he  is  easily  captured,  cut  up 
into  pieces,  and  the  meat  divided.  More  dangerous  than 
either   elephant  hunts  or  hippopotamus  hunts  is  their 


THE   DENKA  287 

exciting  chase  of  wild  buffaloes,  in  which  they  show 
bravery.  Fish  they  generally  catch  by  making  a  kir^ 
or  dam  of  reeds,  across  a  stream. 

Canoes  are  scooped  out  of  trunks  of  trees  with  a 
hanish,  a  small  axe. 

The  Denka  are  fond  of  meat,  but  they  seldom  kill 
their  tame  animals,  as  they  attach  too  much  value  to 
them.  When  cows,  sheep,  or  goats,  however,  die  a 
natural  death,  they  are  eaten  with  gusto,  no  matter  from 
what  disease  they  have  died.  Rinderpest  has  frequently 
played  havoc  amongst  their  animals,  especially  in  the 
country  further  east,  but,  regardless  of  consequences, 
the  meat  of  these  animals  has  on  every  occasion  been 
greedily  devoured. 

The  Denka  cultivate  the  soil  merely  with  a  pointed 
stick,  with  which  they  make  a  succession  of  holes,  placing 
seeds  in  them.  Nothing  more  is  needed  to  obtain  a 
crop,  the  soil  being  so  fertile.  When  the  ground  gets 
exhausted,  all  they  have  to  do  is  to  go  and  make  their 
plantations  somewhere  else,  wherever  best  suits  them. 
Their  plantations  of  maize  are,  nevertheless,  small  and 
hardly  suffice  for  their  own  needs.  These  people  subsist 
almost  entirely  by  hunting  and  fishing. 

Among  the  musical  instruments  which  the  Denka 
possess  is  a  stringed  lyre,  which  they  call  a  rahaba,  a 
word  and  an  instrument  adopted  from  their  neighbours, 
the  people  of  Kaffa. 

The  Denka  have  six  long  horizontal  lines  instead  of 
five  across  the  forehead,  and  these  lines  reach  upon  their 
shaved  heads  beyond  the  ears.  These  cicatrices,  which 
the  natives  call  the  tim,  are  made  by  pulling  up  the 
skin  until  it  forms  a  ridge,  and  then  cutting  the  top  of 
it  with  a  blade,  quite  a  painful  operation. 


288  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

With  all  these  tribes  I  was  interested  in  noticing 
how  fast  and  weak  was  their  pulse — one  hundred  and 
six  to  one  hundred  and  ten  beats  in  the  minute  were 
about  the  average  in  people  not  feverish.  With  nearly 
all  these  tribes  abdominal  breathing  was  prevalent  both 
in  men  and  women.  The  people  bore  exposure  to  the 
direct  rays  of  the  sun  well,  and  they  went  about  with 
heads  uncovered  without  feeling  any  ill  effects.  When 
their  bodies  were  not  painted  white,  their  perspiration 
seemed  abundant,  and  abundant  was  also  their  saliva- 
tion. They  bore  hunger  fairly  well,  but  not  lack  of 
sleep,  of  which  they  required  fully  twelve  to  sixteen  hours 
a  day.  They  had  no  great  physical  strength,  especially 
in  their  arms,  and  absolutely  no  ability  for  lifting 
weights. 

The  women  were  physically  stronger  than  the  men, 
and  could  walk  longer  distances  without  feeling  any  ill 
effects.  Although  the  men  showed  skill  in  throwing  their 
spears,  they  could  not  hurl  them  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, like  the  cannibal  people,  for  instance,  whom  I  saw 
later  in  the  French  Congo  and  Congo  Free  State. 

These  long-legged  Denka  were  lazy  in  the  extreme, 
and  although  they  could  walk  considerable  distances 
for  two  or  three  consecutive  days,  I  do  not  think 
that  any  of  them  could  keep  it  up  steadily  for  long 
periods  of  time,  say,  two  or  three  months. 

It  was  rather  curious  that  none  of  these  people  had 
ever  seen  mountains  ;  in  fact,  no  such  word  existed  in 
their  language.  I  caused  much  merriment  by  trying 
to  explain  to  them  that  other  countries  were  not  quite 
so  flat  as  the  Denka  and  the  Nuer  countries.  Only  one 
man  said  he  had  heard  that  to  the  east  was  a  country 
like  that,  but  no  member  of  his  tribe  had  seen  it. 


ABWONG  289 

Some  day  the  development  of  the  navigation  of  the 
Sobat  and  of  the  country  north  and  south  of  it  will 
render  Abwong  an  important  place.  When  I  passed 
through^  there  were  only  twenty  thatched  huts  for 
soldiers  and  a  larger  one  for  the  mamur,  as  well  as  another 
dwelling  for  an  inspector,  in  old  Abwong.  In  new 
Abwong,  nearer  the  river,  a  large  baked-brick  house  was 
being  built  for  the  mamur,  with  a  zaptia,  or  Govern- 
ment office,  of  five  spacious  rooms.  Within  a  year  or 
so,  twelve  brick  houses  for  the  police  were  to  be  con- 
structed, and  one  house  in  corrugated  iron  for  the 
temporary  British  inspector. 

The  natives  of  Abwong  itself  were  Denka,  although 
in  the  district  there  were  also  some  Anuak,  and  as  one 
got  west  towards  Taufikia  some  Shiluk. 

Twenty  native  police,  of  whom  only  half  a  dozen  were 
regular  soldiers  and  the  others  irregular,  were  deemed 
sufficient  for  this  station.  It  was  found  impossible  to 
employ  local  labour,  as  the  Denka  were  too  lazy  and 
stupid  to  learn  anything,  and  also  too  independent,  and 
could  not  be  made  to  work.  All  labour  had  to  be  im- 
ported from  Khartoum. 

The  mamur  was  absent  when  I  was  in  Abwong,  but 
I  met  there  Ali  Zaki  Yonobashi,  of  the  Department  of 
Works,  who  showed  me  every  possible  civility  during 
the  few  hours  I  remained  in  the  place. 


VOL.  I.  19 


290 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

From  Abwong  I  made  a  detour  towards  the  south,  in 
order  to  visit  some  of  the  tribes  in  that  direction.  The 
country  was  flat  and  treeless,  with  occasional  villages. 
Between  Nasser  and  Abwong  we  had  descended  about 
one  hundred  feet,  and  we  were  now  at  an  elevation  of 
1,250  feet.  When  we  returned  in  a  north-westerly 
direction  towards  the  Sobat  in  the  Denka  country,  we 
saw  millions  of  small  birds,  and  along  the  river  flocks 
of  black  cranes. 

In  the  afternoon  of  March  25th  we  once  more  crossed 
the  Sobat.  We  found  a  single  rickety  canoe  half  full 
of  water,  but  the  natives  of  the  village  refused  to  ferry 
my  loads  across,  so  we  proceeded  to  do  it  ourselves. 
My  Abyssinians  were  pitifully  helpless  in  the  dug-out, 
and  had  it  not  been  for  the  leper  Yambo,  who  turned 
out  quite  an  expert  in  canoe  navigation,  we  should 
have  been  much  delayed. 

The  river  was  swift,  and  as  the  canoe  was  not  only 
narrow  but  let  in  a  deal  of  water,  it  required  infinite 
care  to  convey  the  loads  in  safety  to  the  other  bank. 
Hundreds  of  Denka  had  assembled  with  their  spears 
on  both  banks,  and  they  resented  our  using  their  canoe. 
One  of  them  came  forward  and  said  he  would  work  it 
for  us.  In  fact,  he  got  one  of  my  loads  on  board  and 
paddled   steadily   until   he   reached   the   centre   of   the 


HARD   MARCHES  291 

stream,  when  he  proceeded  to  make  his  escape,  paddhng 
away  his  hardest  down  the  river. 

This  meant,  besides  being  robbed,  a  delay  of 
probably  a  whole  day,  with  half  my  things  on  one 
side  of  the  river  and  half  on  the  other,  and  as  my  Abys- 
sinians  could  not  swim,  and  the  river  was  deep  at  that 
place,  I  was  rather  in  a  dilemma  as  to  how  to  take  them 
across. 

I  shouted  to  the  man  in  the  canoe  to  come  back, 
but  he  put  on  more  speed,  encouraged  by  the  yells 
of  the  assembled  natives  on  the  river  banks.  Where- 
upon, after  shouting  many  times  for  him  to  return, 
as  he  was  decamping  with  my  goods,  including  a  valuable 
camera,  I  took  a  rifle  and  fired  at  the  canoe  with  an 
expanding  bullet,  making  a  big  hole  in  her.  The  man 
became  so  frightened  that  he  immediately  paddled 
towards  the  shore  and  we  recovered  the  load.  The 
thief  received  a  good  shaking,  and  after  repairing  the 
damage  done  to  the  canoe  we  continued  to  take  men 
and  goods  to  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

In  this  part  of  the  country  we  saw  thousands  of 
beautiful  cattle,  but  the  natives  would  on  no  account 
part  with  them. 

On  March  26th  we  passed  more  Denka  villages,  and 
still  travelled  over  flat,  monotonous  country  with  burnt 
yellow  grass.  Only  here  and  there  was  a  patch  of  fresh 
grass  on  which  my  half-dead  mules  could  feed.  My 
caravan,  formerly  of  some  thirty  mules,  was  now  re- 
duced to  about  half  that  number,  two  or  three  more 
mules  dying  that  day.  I  was  marching  fast  towards 
the  Nile,  and  as  I  had  left  the  river  and  we  were 
here  in  a  waterless  country,  I  intended  reaching  the 
military  post  of  Taufikia  at  all  costs  that  evening. 
VOL.  I.  19* 


292  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Before  we  left  the  river  we  saw  an  exciting  hunting 
scene,  hundreds  of  clamorous  natives  running  along 
the  banks  brandishing  their  spears.  They  were  dash- 
ing after  a  magnificent  antelope,  and  eventually  suc- 
ceeded in  surrounding  her,  all  wildly  thrusting  their 
spears  into  the  exhausted  animal.  One  of  my  Abys- 
sinians,  with  sporting  instincts,  got  among  the  crowd 
and  was  about  to  fire  through  the  animal's  body. 
Fortunately,  I  arrived  in  time  to  shove  his  rifle  sky- 
ward, and  the  shot  went  into  the  air,  or  else  not  only 
would  he  have  killed  the  antelope,  but  the  bullet  might 
have  gone  through  several  Denka  who  were  crowding 
on  the  opposite  side. 

Later  on  in  the  day  we  came  across  people  of  a 
different  tribe,  the  Shiluk.  Their  huts  were  of  an 
elongated  dome-like  shape,  many  with  an  extra  point 
at  the  top.  The  lower  edge  of  the  roof  projected  far 
out,  and  the  mud  walls,  four  to  five  feet  high,  were  well 
made.  Generally  there  were  two  huts  opposite  each 
other  in  an  enclosure  of  fascines  of  reeds  and  sticks 
with  matting  between.  Their  boats,  for  lack  of  wood, 
were  also  constructed  of  fascines  of  reeds  tied  together 
so  as  to  form  a  felucca.  These  boats — some  of  them 
able  to  carry  ten  or  fifteen  people — floated  beautifully 
upon  the  water.  They  were  easily  constructed  and  of  the 
greatest  use  to  the  natives  in  navigating  the  river. 

We  were  travelling  over  bad  ground.  During  the 
evening  we  unfortunately  lost  our  way,  misguided 
by  a  light  we  saw  in  the  distance  and  which  we  believed 
to  be  the  military  post  of  Taufikia  upon  the  Nile.  We 
made  for  that  light  and  after  marching  for  some  hours 
found  ourselves  a  great  deal  north  of  the  post  and  had 
to    return    southward,    passing    many    native    villages 


MISSIONARIES  293 

before  arriving  at  the  post  late  at  night.  We  did  not 
find  water  all  that  day^  and  only  a  mile  or  so  before  we 
reached  the  post  another  of  my  mules  collapsed  and 
died. 

We  had  marched  some  forty-five  miles  that  day  and 
all  my  animals  were  in  an  exhausted  condition,  having 
made  a  similar  march  the  previous  day.  In  fact,  we 
had  accomplished  the  entire  journey  from  Adis-Ababa 
to  the  Nile — over  1,000  kilometres  (some  625  miles) — 
entirely  by  land,  in  thirty-nine  days,  out  of  which  we 
had  only  marched  twenty-seven  days,  making  an  average 
march  of  about  twenty-three  miles  a  day — not  so  easy 
in  such  an  inhospitable  country  and  in  such  terrific 
heat. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Sobat,  Marchand  had  erected 
a  post  on  the  south  bank,  which  has  now  been  abandoned. 
A  short  distance  up-stream  was  the  American  mission 
of  the  Sudan,  an  offshoot  of  the  Egyptian-American 
mission.  On  a  trip  I  made  there,  I  found  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
R.  E.  Carson  in  charge  of  the  mission.  For  missionaries 
they  seemed  practical  people.  They  had  there  some  two 
hundred  acres  of  land,  which  they  intended  using  for 
teaching  natives  improved  methods  of  agriculture.  I 
believe  they  also  intended  establishing  industrial 
classes. 

The  Sudan  Government,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
usual  quarrels  among  missionaries,  has  wisely  divided 
the  country  into  various  spheres  of  religious  influence. 
To  the  American  missionaries  has  been  given  the  zone 
south  of  Fashoda  and  up  the  Sobat  river.  The 
English  are  at  Bor,  on  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf,  and  the 
Austrian  Catholic  mission  in  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal. 

Mr.   Carson   was   hopeful   of   the   results   obtainable 


294  ACROSS    WIDEST   AFRICA 

in  his  region.  He  told  me  that  as  soon  as  the  mission 
was  fairly  started  there  would  be  two  other  missionaries 
established  in  the  place,  one  a  farmer,  the  other  a  man 
of  mechanical  aptitudes.  He  believed  that  cotton  could 
be  grown  profitably  in  that  region,  and  he  told  me  that 
two  good  crops  had  already  been  raised  and  pronounced 
of  fair  quality  in  Cairo.  A  cotton  gin  and  loom  had 
been  brought  over  for  cleaning  and  working  the  cotton, 
and  an  improved  iron  windmill  had  already  been  put  up 
for  irrigation  purposes. 

Like  a  good  American,  Mr.  Carson  was  busy  teach- 
ing the  natives  the  use  and  value  of  money.  So  far  he 
had  encountered  difficulty  in  getting  them  to  appreciate 
the  exact  value  of  coins.  He  seemed  rather  concerned 
at  the  custom  of  the  natives,  who  would  only  part  with 
their  cattle  in  exchange  for  wives,  but  would  not  sell 
for  any  other  consideration,  and  certainly  commercial 
relations  are  likely  to  be  restricted  until  some  less 
cumbersome — if,  perhaps,  not  so  pleasant — article  of 
exchange  comes  to  be  readily  accepted. 

Mr.  Carson  seemed  an  extremely  practical  man.  He 
told  me  that  it  was  intended  to  construct  two  sailing 
boats  for  trading  purposes  on  the  river  Sobat  and  on 
the  White  Nile,  in  order  to  teach  the  natives  Western 
industrial  methods.  He  then  proposes  to  teach  the 
natives  blacksmith's  work,  and  means  to  go  in  thoroughly 
for  the  production  of  sim  sim  oil  (derived  from  the  well- 
known  plant  of  the  genus  sesamum),  which  he  believes 
will  be  remunerative  and  will  contribute  towards  the 
support  of  the  mission. 

He  was  endeavouring  to  bring  down  the  Shiluk  from 
their  proud  idea  that  a  man  must  never  work,  but  he 
told  me   that   he   experienced   difficulty  in  eradicating 


"  Sometimes  small  tish  is  caught  on  the  Nile,  sometimes  not  so  small. 


CLOTHES   A    MISTAKE  295 

this  well-rooted  notion,  as  nearly  all  Shiluk  have  land 
and  cattle  and  are  quite  satisfied  with  what  they  already 
possess. 

The  actual  work  of  Christianization  is  only  to  filter 
in  gradually  when  the  natives  are  getting  more  civilized, 
but  is  not  to  be  imposed  upon  them  until  they  are  quite 
ready  to  comprehend  it.  It  is  in  the  present  programme 
of  the  mission  to  establish  stations  among  the  Denka, 
the  Nuer,  the  Burun  and  the  Yambo,  as  well  as  among 
allied  tribes.  A  hospital  ship  is  to  be  built,  which  will  go 
up  and  down  the  river  giving  medical  aid  to  the  natives. 
Severe  cases  will  be  taken  on  board  and  brought 
down  for  special  treatment  to  a  central  hospital.  Mr. 
Carson,  who  is  by  way  of  being  a  doctor,  told  me 
with  glee  that  there  was  great  scope  in  the  country  for 
surgery.     So  like  a  surgeon  ! 

I  was  somewhat  glad  to  find  a  missionary  who  was 
rather  against  supplying  the  natives  with  clothes.  In 
a  climate  like  the  one  of  the  Sobat  region,  the  less 
clothes  one  wears  the  better.  Besides,  the  clothes  in 
countries  where  infectious  diseases  are  rampant  only 
maintain  and  propagate  contagion,  as  the  people  never 
wash,  and  often  exchange  their  clothes,  infecting  one 
another. 

Mr.  Carson  was  telling  me  that  the  natives  are 
suspicious,  and  cannot  get  over  the  idea  that  all  white 
people  are  robbers.  These  people  near  the  Nile  have 
had  unfortunate  experiences  with  the  Egyptians,  with 
the  Turks  and  the  Dervishes,  who  killed  many  of  their 
people  and  seized  numbers  of  their  cattle. 

Taufikia  itself  is  a  military  post  with  a  large 
garrison  of  Sudanese  troops.  There  are  a  few  houses 
of   brick   and    corrugated    iron,   and    many    tents   and 


296  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

mud  huts  for  the  soldiers  and  their  wives.  Sudanese 
troops  are  well  looked  after — in  fact,  a  great  deal  too 
well.  They  are  provided  with  wives,  with  lavish  food, 
portable  hip-baths,  water-bottles,  and  with  all  kinds  of 
luxuries  which  they  do  not  require.  Perhaps  they  are 
dressed  more  with  an  eye  to  football  matches  than  for 
military  comfort,  a  brown  heavy  woollen  jersey  covering 
their  chest,  while  their  legs  are  garbed  in  tight  khaki 
trousers,  black  puttees  round  the  lower  portion  of  the 
leg  and  heavy  nonsensical  leather  boots,  which  get 
hardened  after  moisture  and  baked  in  the  sun,  so  that 
the  soldiers  have  to  remove  them  when  on  the  march,  as 
they  make  their  feet  quite  sore.  The  tarbouche,  too, 
which  in  its  natural  condition  is  graceful  enough,  has 
been  deformed  into  a  sort  of  high  cylinder  wrapped  up 
in  a  broad  band  of  khaki,  with  a  patch  on  one  side  on 
which  the  brass  number  of  the  regiment  stands  out. 

A  great  deal  of  astonishment  is  displayed  at  the 
cleverness  of  native  bands  in  learning  European  tunes, 
an  astonishment  no  one  who  has  spent  a  few  days  in  a 
military  post,  I  am  sure,  can  possibly  share.  The 
musicians,  who,  it  is  quite  true,  do  not  know  a  single 
note  of  music,  are  placed  under  the  cooling  shade  of 
a  tree,  and  there  for  several  consecutive  hours  in  the 
morning  and  several  hours  at  night  they  are  compelled 
to  practise  two  or  three  chords  at  a  time  of  one  tune 
or  another,  which  two  or  three  chords  are  continually 
repeated  until  the  people  in  the  neighbourhood  are  nearly 
driven  out  of  their  minds  by  the  monotonous  discords. 
When,  after  some  weeks,  two  or  three  chords  have  been 
learnt,  two  or  three  more  chords  are  added  to  them, 
and  by  the  end  of  the  year  another  easy  melody  out  of 
the  "  Belle  of  New  York,"  or   such   other   classic,  has 


TAUFIKIA  297 

been  mastered,  a  Sudanese  rhythm  never  being  lacking 
in  its  reproduction. 

My  animals  were  in  such  a  bad  condition  that  they 
were  quite  unable  to  go  any  further.  Even  the  horse 
which  Ras  Makonnen  had  given  me  was  now  so  tired 
after  his  long  march  of  about  1,450  kilometres  from 
Harrar,  that  I  had  to  leave  him  behind  at  this  place.  I 
endeavoured  to  make  a  fresh  caravan  of  donkeys,  which 
would  be  more  suited  for  the  country  I  should  have  to 
cross  in  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal. 

I  sent  back  to  Europe  a  good  deal  of  my  baggage 
by  the  Nile,  purchased  fresh  provisions,  and  after  a 
compulsory  stay  of  twelve  days — the  most  stupid, 
miserable  and  dullest  twelve  days  I  have  ever  spent 
in  my  life — I  was  ready  to  start  further  west. 

There  were  three  officers  here,  one.  Major  Lempriere, 
a  perfect  gentleman  and  most  distinguished  officer, 
who,  unfortunately,  went  on  leave  when  I  arrived.  The 
others  seemed  much  affected  by  the  climate. 

In  the  river  I  discovered  a  good  deal  of  gold  in  the 
sand,  gold  which  undoubtedly  comes  down  the  Sobat 
and  is  deposited  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Nile  at 
this  place. 

I  left  Taufikia  by  river  on  April  8th,  and  passed 
the  mouth  of  the  Sobat,  the  water  of  which,  being 
of  a  yellowish,  creamy  colour,  was  easily  distinguish- 
able from  the  greenish  water  of  the  Nile.  The  yellow 
line  followed  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river.  The  countr}^ 
all  round  was  flat  and  uninteresting,  low  and  swampy 
to  the  south  and  somewhat  higher  on  the  north  bank. 
Further  west  the  south  bank  got  a  little  higher,  with 
slight  undulations  and  with  small  accumulations  of 
alluvial  deposits  around  trees  and  clusters  of  grass. 


298  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Occasionally  Shiluk  were  to  be  seen  along  the  banks, 
all  armed  with  spears  and  shouting  out  their  friendly 
"  Abhave,  abhave."  Shiluk  villages  were  frequent 
on  both  sides. 

It  is  impossible  to  imagine  a  more  dreary,  uninterest- 
ing landscape  than  that  of  this  region.  Before  we  got 
to  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf  we  saw  to  the  south  a  hill,  standing 
separate,  the  Djeb  Zeraf,  with  three  lower  hills  by  its 
side.  Soon  after  perceiving  these  low  hills  we  came 
to  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf,  which  forms  a  short  cut  in  the 
waterway  from  the  White  Nile  to  the  stations  of  Bor, 
Lado  and  Gondokoro.  Perhaps  even  a  shorter  cut  might 
be  made  at  no  great  expense,  coming  straight  from  Bor 
to  the  Khor  Felus  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sobat.  I  believe 
indeed  that  Sir  William  Garstin  contemplates  a  scheme 
of  this  kind,  which  would  avoid  the  present  detour  of 
the  river  and  would  necessarily  greatly  increase  the 
volume  of  water  brought  down  for  the  irrigation  of 
Egypt. 

The  Sudan  Government  is,  in  fact,  giving  great 
attention  to  these  possibilities,  and  at  the  time  of  my 
visit  had  a  small  band  of  irrigation  officers  at  work 
in  the  study  of  projects  for  increasing  the  volume  of 
the  White  Nile  from  which  Egypt  draws  practically  the 
whole  of  its  summer  supply. 

At  Taufikia  I  met  Mr.  P.  M.  Tottenham,  inspector 
of  the  irrigation  works,  who  had  been  making  a  levelled 
survey  over  the  line  of  Garstin's  Bor-Sobat  cut  and 
also  accurate  surveys  of  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf  and  through 
the  marshes  near  Shambe.  Some  thirty  gauges  to 
record  the  movements  of  the  Nile  had  been  put  up  that 
year.  Eventually  the  work  of  these  devoted  surveyors 
will  make  known  with  exactitude  the  intricate  channels 


—     V 


—     c 


>^     5= 


SUFFERING   MONKS  299 

and  branches  of  the  Upper  Nile,  as  well  as  the  topo- 
graphy of  the  vast  marshes  in  which  the  river  practically 
loses  itself.  They  had  been  able  to  free  this  channel 
through  the  unexplored  marshes  (which  feed  the  river 
Zeraf)  as  far  as  the  latitude  of  Shambe,  when  further 
progress  was  stopped  by  the  sudd,  a  barrier  of  grass  and 
decayed  vegetation. 

On  the  right  bank  of  the  stream  we  came  to  a  Catholic 
mission  near  a  Shiluk  village.  The  fathers  had  begun 
building  themselves  a  neat  red-brick  house.  So  far, 
however,  they  had  merely  a  mud  hut  by  the  stream, 
with  a  little  kitchen-garden  which  the  monks  were  busy 
besprinkling  with  water  in  order  to  keep  their  vege- 
tables alive.  They  prayed  and  watered  the  plants 
simultaneously.  There  is  nothing  like  saving  time.  I  was 
really  sorry  for  these  fathers  when  I  saw  them,  as  they 
seemed  absolutely  destitute.  They  had  nothing  except 
their  vegetables,  and  they  appeared  worn  and  dazed 
from  fever,  with  half-demented  faces.  Most  of  them 
were  drawn  from  the  farmer  class  and  had  but  little 
education,  but  they  were  kindly  disposed.  Malarial 
fever  was  rampant  in  that  region.  All  these  men  were 
suffering  silently. 

Away  from  the  habitations  lots  of  antelopes  and 
water-buck  were  to  be  seen. 

West  of  the  Bahr-el-Zeraf  we  were  again  in  a  country 
inhabited  by  Denka.  We  had  now  entered  a  region 
of  papyrus,  which  we  had  not  yet  seen  on  our  journey. 
Dum  palms  were  more  numerous  than  the  smooth- 
barked  tall  ghuleh,  with  its  peculiar  swelling  half-way 
up  its  stem,  which  we  noticed  so  frequently  on  the  Sobat ; 
mimosa  trees,  the  gherar  of  the  Abyssinians  ;  and  the 
white-green  grass,  the  talkh  (the  aglik  of  the  Arabs)  were 


300  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

also  to  be  seen  in  huge  quantities^  especially  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  river. 

When  we  approached  some  village  the  natives, 
especially  the  women,  received  us  with  shrill  ululations, 
a  kind  of  falsetto  tremolo,  quite  musical  and  weird 
at  night. 

We  were  here  in  the  sudd  region  and  saw  a  great 
many  floating  islands,  some  of  which  delayed  us  con- 
siderably until  we  could  cut  our  way  through.  Nearly 
the  entire  river  was  in  many  places  covered  with  vege- 
tation and  only  a  small  channel  left  for  navigation. 
Small  islands  often  altogether  blocked  the  congested 
channel. 

On  April  9th  we  came  to  Lake  No,  where  quantities 
of  papyrus  clumps  were  to  be  seen  on  the  south  bank. 
The  Bahr-el-Ghazal  itself  entered  Lake  No,  describing 
a  spacious  curve.  As  a  matter  of  fact.  Lake  No  was 
formed  merely  by  the  flooding  of  the  intervening  country, 
where  the  Bahr-el-Djebel  and  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  meet. 
The  natives  call  it  Mogren-el-Bahr,  or  "  the  mouth  of 
the  river."  A  well-defined  line  marks  the  two  currents 
of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  and  the  Bahr-el-Djebel  (or  Ghebel), 
the  former  a  stream  practically  of  stagnant  water, 
the  latter  descending  from  Lake  Albert.  Directly  in 
front  of  Bahr-el-Djebel  to  the  north  was  the  Eliri  Mount, 
some  days'  journey  from  the  river.  Lake  No  begins 
where  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  is  joined  by  the  Bahr-el- 
Djebel.  It  would  certainly  be  more  correct  to  call 
Lake  No  "  No  Lake,"  as  there  is  so  much  sudd  floating 
about  and  thickly-webbed  vegetation  covering  its  sur- 
face that  on  travelling  across  it  one  sees  no  water  at 
all  except  the  small  channel  cut  by  the  boats.  In  some 
places  there  were  side  channels,  which  suggested  that 


THE    BAHR-EL-GHAZAL  301 

the  lake  might  extend  underneath  the  surface  growths 
for  a  width  of  from  two  to  four  miles,  whereas  the  length 
of  the  lake  from  east  to  west  is  calculated  at  about 
eight  miles.  It  is  considered  the  largest  lake  in  the 
Sudan. 

One  tried  hard  to  find  something  of  interest  as  one 
went  along,  but  after  passing  the  lake  we  had  nothing 
but  swamp,  sudd,  reeds,  papyrus  and  the  umshusha, 
as  it  is  called  in  the  Sudan  (the  umsusa),  the  tall  grass 
which  covers  the  country. 

Milhons  of  tall  anthills  covered  the  flat  stretch 
of  country  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  Occasionally 
mimosas,  few  and  far  apart,  slightly  relieved  the 
monotony  of  the  landscape.  Towards  the  evening 
hundreds  of  gazelles  and  water-buck  were  to  be  seen 
close  to  the  water-edge. 

We  were  blocked  on  several  occasions  by  quantities 
of  sudd  in  the  channel.  The  stream  nearly  all  the  way 
was  over  twenty-five  feet  deep,  but  it  was  difficult  to 
gauge  its  width  owing  to  the  sudd  which  collected  near 
the  banks  and  stopped  up  the  river  almost  altogether, 
so  that  the  boat  brushed  the  reeds  on  both  sides  as  we 
went  along.  Marabu  birds  were  numerous,  and  also 
all  kinds  of  long-legged,  long-beaked  water-birds. 


302 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

Before  we  proceed  on  the  journey  let  us  examine  the 
Shiluk  a  Httle  more  intimately. 

They  were  at  one  time  a  great  tribe,  much  more 
numerous  and  powerful  than  now.  The  incursions  of 
the  Dervishes,  the  Egyptians  and  slave  merchants 
have  wrought  havoc  among  them.  They  can  be  found 
now  all  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile  from  the  io° 
30'  lat.  N.,  from  a  place  called  Kaka,  and  as  far 
south  as  Lake  No  on  the  White  Nile.  They  divide 
themselves  into  fifty  podo,  thirty-seven  of  which  are 
found  on  the  White  Nile,  six  in  the  interior  on  the 
river  Kiro,  and  one  on  the  Sobat,  which  we  have 
already  visited. 

The  influence  of  these  Shiluk  must  formerly  have 
been  considerable,  at  least  if  we  are  to  judge  by  the 
spread  of  their  language,  which,  with  certain  variations, 
is  understood  and  spoken  by  many  distant  tribes  towards 
the  east,  such  as  the  Yambo  and  the  Anuak,  and  as 
far  south  as  some  of  the  tribes  on  the  Victoria  Nyanza. 
It  is  said  that  at  one  time  the  Shiluk  extended  as  far 
as,  and  further  than,  the  12°  lat.  N.,  where  they  came 
in  contact  with  the  Baggara,  with  whom  they  were 
at  war,  but  that  they  were  eventually  driven  back 
to  the  place  they  now  occupy. 

They  inhabit   at  present   a  thickly-populated   zone 


THE   SHILUK  303 

from  ten  to  twenty  miles  wide,  mostly  along  the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  the  villages  standing  at  short  distances 
all  along.  Especially  south  of  Kodok  (better  known  as 
Fashoda  to  EngUsh  people),  the  country  along  the  stream 
is  literally  covered  with  huts.  Between  the  estuary  of 
the  Sobat  and  Lake  No  the  country  is  densely  popu- 
lated. The  number  of  inhabitants  has  been  estimated 
at  over  half  a  million  souls,  but  such  authorities  as 
Father  Tappi  who  have  lived  in  their  country  for  many 
years  seem  to  think  that  figure  rather  understates  than 
over-estimates  their  number. 

The  supreme  chief  of  the  Shiluk  lives  near  Fashoda 
and  goes  by  the  title  of  Mak,  or  more  commonly  Ret. 
His  title  is  hereditary,  or,  at  any  rate,  the  Ret  is  always 
elected  from  among  the  Gnarets,  the  ruling  family. 
They  are  said  never  to  die  of  a  natural  death,  these 
Ret  being  suffocated  or  strangled  when  ill  or  about  to 
expire,  the  tribe  disliking  the  idea  of  their  kings  dying 
like  other  mortals. 

The  Shiluk  divide  themselves  into  two  great  families  : 
the  Quagnaret  and  the  O-chioUa,  the  Quagnaret  being 
the  noble,  almost  semi-divine,  caste  among  them.  The 
0-chiolla  people,  of  a  lower  social  condition,  are  some- 
what looked  down  upon  by  the  Quagnaret,  although  the 
0-chiolla  are  much  richer  and  are  really  superior  in 
authority  to  their  nobler  tribesmen.  It  is  possible  that 
the  Quagnaret  and  the  0-chiolla  were  in  remote  times 
different  races  altogether,  the  Quagnaret  being  the 
conquering  race.  In  fact,  we  find  some  marked  differ- 
ences in  the  type.  The  Quagnaret  are  aggressive,  proud, 
and  despise  work ;  whereas  the  0-chiolla  work  the  ground, 
look  after  the  immense  herds  of  cattle,  and,  in  fact,  possess 
all  the  riches  in  the  country. 


304  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

The  vShiluk,  both  castes  combined,  have  had  many 
vicissitudes  even  in  comparatively  recent  years  in 
their  own  country.  They  had  severe  fights  with  the 
Dervishes,  with  whom  they  afterwards  made  peace. 
Some  were  conquered,  others  would  not  submit  and 
migrated  from  their  country. 

When  Major  Marchand  came  on  his  famous  expedi- 
tion to  Fashoda  they  looked  upon  him  as  a  saviour  and 
even  made  a  treaty  with  him.  To  this  day  they 
speak  of  this  officer  and  his  entire  expedition  in  the 
most  laudatory  terms.  For  the  Anglo-Egyptian  officers 
they  also  have  much  admiration,  mingled,  however,  with 
a  good  deal  of  suspicion,  as  they  cannot  imagine  that 
white  people  go  to  the  Shiluk  country  merely  for  the 
sake  of  protecting  them.  They  fear  that  some  day 
they  will  be  pounced  upon,  their  cattle  seized  and  be 
robbed  of  whatever  else  they  may  possess.  Their 
previous  experiences  in  that  direction  with  the  Turks, 
the  Egyptians  and  the  Dervishes  have  certainly  not 
been  happy. 

I  believe  they  quite  understand  that  for  the  protec- 
tion afforded  they  must  pay  some  sort  of  a  tax,  but 
I  think  they  would  prefer  to  pay  it  in  kind  with  some 
of  the  produce  of  their  country  rather  than  get  rid  of 
their  cattle,  from  which  they  are  extremely  loth  to 
part.  The  affection  of  the  Shiluk  towards  their  cattle 
is  quite  pathetic.  One  never  sees  a  Shiluk  strike  a  cow 
or  an  ox,  even  under  the  most  trying  circumstances. 

The  Shiluk  are  terrified  beyond  words  of  British 
artillery,  the  accounts  of  what  British  guns  could  do 
at  the  battle  of  Omdurman  having  spread  far  and  wide 
all  over  their  country. 

One  Shiluk  told  me  :   "  What  can  I  do  with  my  spear 


THE   RET  305 

with  which  I  can  only  kill  people  near  me,  when  you 
have  *  boom-booms  '  " — by  which  name  they  call  our 
guns — "  which  can  kill  many,  many  men  each  time  from 
so  far  away  that  although  we  can  hear  we  cannot  see 
you  ?  " 

The  podo  into  which  the  Shiluk  country  is  divided 
are  districts,  and  each  district  is  then  divided  into 
helle,  or  villages.  The  chiefs  of  these  villages  are  elected 
by  the  inhabitants,  although  frequently  the  Ret  gives 
the  position  to  members  of  his  regal  family.  A  con- 
siderable revenue  comes  to  the  Ret  from  the  ivory  tusks 
of  elephants  killed  by  his  tribesmen,  from  hippopotamus 
skins  and  from  cattle,  which  the  various  villagers  must 
pay  to  him  on  demand. 

Then  again  the  Ret  has  splendid  opportunities  of 
increasing  his  wealth  when  murders  or  thefts  occur, 
on  which  occasions  entire  villages  are  pillaged  by  his 
men.  If  the  murderer  happens  to  escape  across  the 
river  to  the  Denka,  the  innocent  people  in  the  village  have 
to  pay  for  the  offender  and  are  robbed  of  everything  they 
possess.  The  person  who  has  been  robbed  in  the  first 
instance  never  recovers  anything. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Ret  gets  rid  of  a  good  deal 
of  his  cattle  for  sacrificial  purposes  during  festivals  and 
on  great  native  hohdays.  Though  his  authority  is 
in  many  ways  only  nominal,  his  word  is  law  on  essential 
points. 

Every  man  of  the  Quagnaret  caste  is  a  warrior, 
and  always  carries  with  him  one  or  several  tong,  or  war- 
spears,  and  a  large  shield  of  hippopotamus  hide.  The 
warriors  are  divided  into  so  many  contingents,  one  under 
a  leader  for  each  district.  Their  navy — quite  a  formid- 
able one — consists  of  an  immense  number  of  improvised 
VOL.  I.  20 


3o6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

canoes  made  from  fascines  of  wonderfully  light  wood, 
the  ambatch,  each  boat  being  easily  carried  on  the 
head  of  one  man  when  on  dry  land,  and  accommodating 
two  or  three  warriors  upon  the  water. 

Before  a  fight  they  all  assemble  at  the  sound  of 
war-drums.  On  one  or  two  occasions  I  got  these 
men  to  show  me  their  tactics,  which  were  indeed 
extraordinary  for  such  uncivilized  people.  Their  spear- 
throwing  was  accurate,  although  they  could  not  hurl 
far,  the  spears  being  too  heavy  to  travel  great  distances 
through  the  air. 

A  number  of  these  fellows  became  excited  over 
their  war-dances  and  sham  attacks  upon  a  position 
where  I  placed  imaginary  enemies.  Having  taken  hold 
of  a  war-club  and  pretended  to  be  the  leader  of  these 
imaginary  enemies,  I  came  out  of  camp  and  went  for 
the  Shiluk,  pretending  to  strike  right  and  left.  To  my 
amazement,  in  a  second  I  found  myself  covered  by  their 
spears  round  my  head  and  body,  so  that  I  could 
not  move  at  all.  We  had  a  great  laugh  over  this,  the 
Shiluk  being  certainly  much  more  amused  than  I  on 
that  occasion.  It  was  amazing  how  quickly  they 
surrounded  me  and  got  the  spears  in  position  to  strike 
at  the  most  vital  parts  of  my  anatomy. 

Some  people  think  they  can  trace  a  resemblance 
between  the  formation  of  Shiluk  skulls  and  those  of  the 
Fellah,  especially  in  the  projection  of  the  nasal  bones, 
but,  personally,  I  believe  this  resemblance  to  be  merely 
accidental,  and  it  is  dubious  whether  a  real  connection 
between  the  two  races  exists. 

Naturally  one  frequently  traces  outside  influences 
in  their  type,  intercourse  having  taken  place  between 
Shiluk  and  neighbouring  or  conquering  tribes.     Perhaps 


A   GREAT    FAMILY  307 

further  north  the  tribes  may  show  a  greater  resemblance 
to  the  Fellah  than  the  tribes  which  I  visited  further 
south. 

The  anatomical  structure  of  the  Shiluk  leads  one 
to  believe  that  these  people  have  been  specially  built 
by  Nature  to  live  in  marshy  regions.  Tall,  long-legged, 
the  Shiluk,  in  common  with  many  other  riverine  tribes, 
possess  many  of  the  habits  of  water-birds.  Often  one 
sees  them  along  the  river  banks  or  in  their  villages 
standing  for  long  periods  of  time  upon  one  leg,  not  unlike 
flamingoes,  the  other  foot  resting  upon  the  knee  of 
the  extended  leg.  One  peculiarity  of  the  Shiluk  race, 
as  also  of  the  Denka  and  the  Nuer,  who,  as  we  have  seen, 
are  closely  allied  to  them,  is  the  extreme  flatness  of  their 
feet  and  the  abnormal  prolongation  of  the  heel. 

We  find  among  the  0-chiolla  the  custom  of  removing 
the  four  incisor  teeth  of  the  lower  jaw,  but  the  noble 
Quagnaret  do  not  indulge  in  this  practice.  The  tribal 
mark  is  generally  two  incisions  on  the  forehead,  and  these 
are  made  when  young  men  come  to  the  age  of  puberty. 

It  is  curious  to  notice  that  some  of  the  harpoons 
used  to-day  by  Shiluk  for  killing  hippopotami  are  similar 
to  those  represented  on  the  monuments  of  the  Pharaohs. 
It  is  possible  that  these  people  copied  these  weapons 
from  the  people  of  Eygpt.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
people  of  the  Upper  Nile  Valley,  in  the  entire  region 
of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  as  well  as  in  the  valley  of  the 
Sobat,  the  Denka,  the  Nuer  and  the  Shiluk,  all  belong 
to  the  same  great  family,  although  local  conditions 
and  various  outside  influences  from  neighbouring  tribes 
have  caused  slight  variations  in  the  type  of  various 
districts. 

Both  the  Shiluk  and  the  Denka  gave  versions  of 
VOL,  I.  20* 


3o8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

one  common  legend  of  two  brothers,  Guacango  and 
Dengo,  who  were  made  specially  by  the  djuk,  the  god  of 
the  Shiluk,  in  order  to  populate  this  formerly  uninhabited 
country.  These  two  brothers,  according  to  the  Quag- 
naret,  were  the  first  of  their  race  who  appeared  in  the 
land.  Dengo,  having  quarrelled  with  his  brother,  crossed 
the  Nile  with  his  cattle  to  the  right  bank,  where  he 
settled.  The  Quagnaret  evidently  originated  from 
Guacango  and  the  Dinka  from  Dengo,  the  word  Dinka 
having  been  subsequently  modified  into  Denka. 

The  Shiluk  are  to  this  day  more  or  less  at  war  with 
the  Denka,  m  order  to  capture  the  cattle  that  Dengo 
took  from  them. 

The  Nuer  are  unmistakably  akin  to  the  Shiluk,  but 
perhaps  more  warlike  in  their  temperament.  The  Anuak 
show  resemblance  in  their  type  to  both  the  Nuer  and 
the  Shiluk. 

The  costume  of  all  these  people  is  simple,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  the  men  going  about  absolutely 
naked,  the  women  occasionally,  but  not  frequently, 
wearing  a  small  apron  of  skin,  or  more  frequently  a  tuft 
of  fresh  grass. 

We  find  among  the  Shiluk  elaborate  ways  of  doing 
the  hair,  which  is  sometimes  matted  into  a  sort  of  thick 
felt  in  the  shape  of  two  large  elephant's  ears  at  the  back 
of  the  head,  sometimes  into  a  comb  or  a  fan  on  the  top 
of  the  skull,  sometimes  into  parallel  combs  either  longi- 
tudinal or  transversal  upon  the  top  portion  of  the  head. 
Generally  these  arrangements  are  suggested  by  animal 
forms,  although  the  natives  themselves  say  they  are 
not.  Like  the  Nuer  and  the  Denka,  they  also  smear 
the  head  for  two  weeks  or  so  with  a  composition  of 
ashes  of  cow  dung,  which  has  the  property  of  colouring 


SHILUK   DEITY   AND    INTERMEDIARIES         309 

the  hair  red.  The  hair  of  the  body  and  face,  what 
there  is  of  it,  is  plucked  out  when  individuals  are 
quite  young. 

The  Shiluk  have  comparatively  small  heads  in  rela- 
tion to  their  height,  and  somewhat  out  of  proportion 
with  the  length  of  their  legs.  The  Quagnaret  are  finer 
people  than  the  0-chiolla.  Some  of  the  men  have  well- 
developed  chests,  but  they  are  somewhat  deficient  in 
size  and  development  of  the  thorax. 

The  Shiluk  have  religious  ideas  of  their  own,  sug- 
gested, I  think,  by  their  contact  with  the  Dervishes  and 
the  ancient  Egyptians.  They  speak  of  a  djuk,  a  kind  of 
god,  to  be  propitiated  when  they  need  rain  or  sunshine 
or  to  be  freed  from  pestilence.  Prayers  are  also  offered 
to  Guacango,  a  semi-deity.  Many  villages  have  a 
special  hut,  a  place  of  worship,  decorated  with  charcoal, 
in  which,  when  the  chief  of  the  village  dies,  he  is  buried. 
Public  prayers  are  offered  sometimes,  especially  for  a 
change  of  climatic  conditions,  and  Guacango  is  specially 
appealed  to  under  the  endearing  name  of  "  Guacaio," 
or  river  god,  when  fish  gets  scarce  in  the  river  and  he 
is  wanted  to  supply  more.  A  priestess  called  the  hated 
acts  as  intermediary  between  the  Shiluk  and  the  deity, 
and  after  listening  carefully  to  the  prayers  of  the  people 
transmits  them  to  the  djuk.  This  hared  visits  the  people 
when  they  are  ill,  and  makes  exorcisms  and  incantations 
to  drive  away  the  evil  spirit  which  is  supposed  to  have 
entered  the  body  of  the  invalid. 

Sheep's  blood  is  frequently  used  in  these  exorcisms, 
and  is  sprinkled  all  over  the  hut  and  the  patient.  The 
possessions  of  the  sick  man  are  scattered  all  over  the 
village,  especially  upon  trails,  the  people  who  tread 
upon  them   unawares  being  supposed  to  contract   the 


310  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

illness  and  so  deliver  from  it  the  person  who  has  it 
already.  The  Shiluk  believe  that  illness  goes  from  one 
person  to  another,  and  that  when  one  person  gets  rid  of 
it,  it  is  only  because  another  person  has  contracted  it. 
This  belief  exists  not  only  in  Africa,  but  also  in  Europe, 
not  far,  even,  from  good  old  London  town. 

In  popular  speech,  Shiluk  of  a  less  noble  birth 
can  die,  but  not  the  Ret,  who,  after  death,  is  merely 
spoken  of  as  having  gone  "  out  of  the  village,"  or  "out 
of  the  country  "  ;  he  is  never  spoken  of  as  a  "  dead 
man." 

The  Shiluk  know  little  about  the  soul,  but  they 
are  inclined  to  the  theory  of  the  transmigration  of 
the  soul  into  other  individuals  upon  this  earth.  Their 
god  is  upon  earth,  and  not  in  heaven,  as  with  us,  the 
idea  of  an  aerial  deity  seeming  extremely  ludicrous  to 
them. 

The  Shiluk  are  noisy  people  when  excited,  and 
particularly  boisterous  at  funerals.  Their  burials  are 
quiet  enough,  the  body  being  deposited  in  a  deep  grave 
amidst  general  grief.  If  the  deceased  be  a  chiefs  as  we 
have  seen,  he  is  deposited  in  the  sacred  hut,  but  simple 
mortals  are  buried  just  outside  their  former  residence. 
A  hide  is  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  grave,  and  the 
hollow  is  then  filled  tight  with  earth  and  flattened  on  the 
surface  so  that  no  one  can  detect  where  the  grave  is. 
Eight  days  later  the  parents  and  friends  in  the  village 
come  with  spears  and  shields  and  dance  and  make 
evolutions  round  the  grave,  sacrificing  and  eating  one  or 
more  oxen  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  deceased. 

Ancestral  worship  is  in  a  way  practised  by  the 
Shiluk.  They  believe  that  the  dead  linger  about  the 
living   and   look   after   them,   and   they   firmly   believe 


I 


I 


THE   SHILUK   LANGUAGE  311 

that  communication  can  be  established  with  dead 
people  in  dreams. 

Shiluk  are  believers  in  the  evil-eye,  and  attach 
much  importance  to  the  way  one  looks  at  them. 

The  Shiluk  language  is  comparatively  rudimentary. 
For  instance,  there  is  no  inflection  to  mark  gender  or 
number.  To  indicate  males  it  is  necessary  to  add  the 
word  "  gialo "  ;  or  for  females,  the  word  "  dacio." 
The  plural  is  made  by  the  suffix  "  ghir,"  which  means 
"  many." 

Counting,  as  with  most  African  tribes,  is  done  on 
one's  fingers,  and  is  limited  to  five.  Few  people  can 
count  beyond.  The  number  "  six  "  is  "  one  hand  and 
one  "  ;    "  seven,"  "  one  hand  and  two,"  and  so  on. 

In  the  Shiluk  language  we  find  no  word  for  "  moun- 
tain "  or  "  hill,"  the  nearest  being  "  kiddi,"  a  stone, 
which  may  also  be  another  indication  that  these  people 
have  always  lived  in  flat,  marshy  regions. 

They  have  an  extensive  vocabulary  for  cattle,  daduk, 
for  instance,  being  a  yellow  cow ;  nyadmg,  a  red  and 
white  cow,  dittang,  a  black  cow,  etc. 


312 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Marriages  in  the  Shiluk  country  are  of  the  simplest 
description,  although  certain  general  rules  are  adopted 
here  and  there.  For  instance,  the  Quagnaret  and  the 
0-chiolla  only  occasionally  intermarry.  A  Quagnaret 
woman,  on  getting  married  to  an  0-chiolla,  loses  her 
caste.  Monogamy  is  prevalent  in  the  Shiluk  country, 
as  it  is  seldom  that  a  Shiluk  can  allow  himself  more  than 
one  wife,  women  in  the  Shiluk  country  being  an  ex- 
pensive luxury.  The  near  relatives  of  the  girl  expect 
in  exchange  for  her  value  no  less  than  three  or  four 
oxen  or  cows,  or  at  least  forty  sheep  or  goats,  besides 
sundry  spears  and  cooking  utensils.  Only  after  pay- 
ment of  the  amount  is  she  handed  over  to  the  prospective 
bridegroom. 

Moreover,  when  a  Shiluk  goes  to  bargain  for  his  wife 
with  her  relatives,  he  has  to  drag  behind  half  a  dozen  or 
more  goats  and  sheep,  and  to  present  one  to  the  father 
of  the  girl,  the  others  to  the  assembled  members  of  the 
family.  By  means  of  pieces  of  straw  laid  upon  the 
floor  the  number  of  oxen,  cows  and  goats  is  agreed  upon, 
while  the  ladies  of  the  house  produce  pot  after  pot  of 
merissa  in  order  to  cheer  up  all  present.  The  business 
part  of  the  transaction  being  over,  if  the  girl  consents, 
she  is  presented  with  a  bracelet  of  brass  or  ivory,  which 
is  passed  over  her  wrist.  That  is  all  there  is  of  the  Shiluk 
marriage  ceremony. 


THE   POSSESSION   OF   WOMEN  313 

Fellows  have  been  known  to  take  a  wife  on  credit, 
but  these  rash  individuals  heavily  mortgage  their  hap- 
piness, and  even  run  the  risk  of  losing  their  better-half 
should  a  wealthier  person  present  himself  on  the  scene 
prepared  to  pay  hard  cash. 

Shiluk  do  not  frequently  intermarry  with  other 
tribes.  They  generally  go  and  select  a  wife  from  a 
distant  village,  but  nearly  always  from  members  of  their 
own  tribe.  When  a  man  marries  more  than  one  wife, 
he  must  provide  for  each  of  them  separate  fields  and 
huts,  and  keep  each  household  divided. 

When  a  man  dies  and  leaves  several  wives,  these 
usually  marry  his  sons.  For  a  consideration  a  Shiluk 
can  marry  his  widowed  sister-in-law,  or  even  his  aunt, 
as  women  are  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  valuable  animals 
and  must  remain  in  the  family. 

When  the  children  are  small  at  a  man's  death,  his 
brother  takes  possession  of  the  widow  and  of  the  cattle  ; 
but  on  the  children  getting  older  the  property  is  divided 
equally  among  the  children,  the  wife,  too,  being  handed 
back,  if  desired,  to  the  eldest  son  in  the  family. 

Adultery  is  not  frequent.  When  it  does  occur,  if 
the  woman  will  not  accuse  the  seducer,  she  is  assured 
that  she  and  her  offspring  will  die  within  a  year.  She 
generally  confesses. 

The  men  are  extremely  lazy  in  the  Shiluk  country, 
and  leave  the  women  to  do  all  the  work.  Indeed,  the 
Shiluk  woman  has  to  cook,  she  has  to  fish,  she  looks  after 
the  animals,  she  goes  to  fetch  water,  she  tans  the  leather 
in  a  primitive  fashion,  when  necessary  she  brings  loads 
of  fodder  and  does  what  little  agricultural  work  is  to 
be  done  in  the  country. 

They    cultivate    some    dhura,    some    maize,    baiick, 


314  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

pumpkins,  lupins,  etc.  The  hibiscus  esculentus  (hamia) 
grows  wild,  and  produces  an  insipid  fruit.  It  is  only 
possible  to  raise  crops  from  May  to  November,  the  rainy 
season  ;  they  sow  the  seeds  when  the  ground  is  softened 
by  the  rains,  the  man  walking  in  front  making  holes  in 
the  ground  as  he  goes  along  with  a  pointed  stick,  the 
woman  behind,  placing  a  seed  or  two  in  each  hole  and 
filling  the  aperture  with  earth  with  her  foot. 

The  Shiluk  country  is  cut  up  into  numerous  natural 
canals.  There  are  many  deep  depressions  in  the  ground, 
which  during  the  rainy  season  fill  up  with  water  and  form 
lakelets.  The  variation  between  high  and  low  water 
in  the  river  is  from  three  to  four  feet.  The  land  during 
the  rainy  season  is  thus  divided  into  so  many  islands, 
the  canals  supplying  good  fish  for  the  natives. 

The  entire  village  takes  part  in  all  the  larger  fishing 
expeditions,  but  the  usual  fishing  is  done  either  in  their 
wooden  canoes,  the  yei,  or  else  in  the  ahhoho,  or  raft 
of  ambatchj  the  men  spearing  the  fish  with  a 
kind  of  spear  and  bow  combined,  about  seven  feet  long, 
such  as  we  have  already  seen  in  use  among  the  natives 
of  the  Sobat  river.  More  generally,  though,  the  natives 
dam  the  narrow  canals,  and  capture  the  fish  in  large 
quantities  in  basket  traps  fixed  in  apertures  of  the 
barrier  across  the  stream. 

The  polypterus  bichir  are  common  in  these  waters. 
Also,  the  siluridcB  family  is  strongly  represented.  The 
lepidosiren,  a  salamander-like  water  inhabitant,  which 
the  natives  eat,  reaches  sometimes  a  length  of  four 
feet. 

The  fish,  when  captured,  is  cut  up  in  strips  and 
dried. 

In  the  streams  the  natives  often  hunt  hippopotami 


CULTIVATION  315 

with  harpoons^  when  they  surround  the  animal  and 
riddle  him  with  spear- wounds.  When  the  animal  is 
worn  out  and  has  lost  a  great  deal  of  blood,  he  some- 
times makes  for  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  the  natives 
kill  him.  If  he  dies  in  the  river,  he  sinks,  and  will  only 
come  to  the  surface  again  after  twelve  hours  or  so,  when 
decomposition  has  begun. 

Guinea-fowl,  crowned  storks,  and  other  large  birds 
are  plentiful  in  the  country,  and  the  natives  kill  them 
with  sticks  or  catch  them  in  traps. 

Shiluk  cultivate  tobacco  extensively  for  their  own 
use.  They  keep  regular  nurseries  of  young  plants, 
which  during  the  proper  season  they  remove  to  the 
banks  of  the  stream.  Their  crop  of  tobacco  is,  how- 
ever, not  sufficient  to  supply  local  needs,  and  most  of 
them  indulge  in  smokes  of  charcoal. 

Until  a  few  years  ago  they  cultivated  cotton,  but 
now  they  have  ceased,  as  they  did  not  find  it  profitable. 

The  north-western  part  of  their  country  is  sandy, 
and,  under  present  conditions,  quite  useless  for  agri- 
cultural purposes.  The  only  portion  which  is  fertile  is 
that  with  alluvial  deposits  from  the  inundations  of  the 
river,  the  zone  inhabited  by  the  Shiluk  practically  not 
extending  further  than  ten  or  twenty  miles  from  the 
larger  streams.  Two  or  three  crops  a  year  can  be  grown 
with  no  trouble  in  the  latter  zone. 

The  country,  as  we  have  seen,  is  a  vast  plain, 
smothered  in  grass  and  reeds  during  the  rains.  The  cli- 
mate is  unhealthy — one  might  say,  deadly — for  men  and 
animals,  especially  such  as  are  non-indigenous.  October 
and  November  are  possibly  the  worst  months,  when 
the  grass  and  reeds  begin  to  putrefy  under  the  great 
heat  of  the  sun  and  exhale  a  pestilential  odour.     August 


3i6  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

is,  perhaps,  the  wettest  month,  with  terrific  thunder- 
storms daily,  and  flashes  of  lightning  so  violent  that  it 
is  difficult  for  people  who  have  not  been  there  to  imagine 
their  force.  The  sky  during  these  tornadoes  is  lighted 
all  over  continuously  by  myriads  of  electric  discharges. 

From  November  the  north  winds  begin,  and  the  level 
of  the  Nile  gets  lower.  The  water  in  the  marshes  and 
lakes  quickly  evaporates,  leaving  reeds  and  grass  to  dry 
and  tumble  down.  It  is  at  this  epoch  that  the  natives 
set  the  country  ablaze,  and  this  is  probably  the  reason 
that  in  many  parts  we  find  few  trees,  as  these  grass  fires 
interfere  considerably  with  their  growth. 

At  night  the  entire  country  is  lighted  by  these  fires, 
which  make  a  weird  scene.  In  the  daytime  swarms  of 
hawks,  grey  falcons  and  eagles,  the  halicetos  vocifer, 
with  their  peculiar  shriek,  describe  circles  above  the  dense 
smoke  arising  from  the  fires,  waiting  for  propitious 
moments  to  pounce  down  upon  frizzling  rats,  snakes 
and  tortoises. 

The  channels,  when  empty  during  the  dry  season, 
are  useful  to  the  natives  as  trails,  and  also  for  places 
wherein  to  hide  their  canoes. 

December,  January,  February  and  March  are  hot 
months,  March  particularly,  the  month  when  I  was  there, 
when  the  thermometer  was  often  as  much  as  40°  Centi- 
grade (104°  Fahrenheit). 

Near  the  ponds,  canals,  and  on  the  river,  thousands 
of  birds  can  be  seen  either  flapping  their  wings  above 
the  water,  or  placidly  resting  perched  upon  one  leg  along 
the  banks.  Some  were  of  a  brilliant  carmine  red,  or  of 
beautiful  gradations  of  yellow  and  blue.  Others,  such 
as  the  plotus  melanogoanastu,  a  fish-eating  bird,  were 
dark-coloured.      Then    there    were    the  marabu  storks. 


THE   TERMIX   VORATRIX  317 

with  their  valuable  plumage,  and  the  halcBuiceps  rex, 
with  its  disproportionate  head  and  sac-like  broad  bill, 
a  bird  of  most  retiring  habits,  something  between  a 
pelican  and  a  heron.  Sparrows  were  innumerable,  and 
probably  one  of  the  most  common  birds  was  the  parra 
africana.  The  white-breasted  Abyssinian  raven,  not 
unlike  a  magpie,  was  frequently  met  with,  particularly 
m  the  yards  of  the  villages. 

Perhaps,  however,  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  is  particularly 
noticeable  for  the  abundance  of  reptiles  of  all  kinds,  all 
holes,  angles  and  fissures  being  full  of  them.  Poisonous 
snakes  are  numerous  and  the  natives  suffer  a  good  deal 
from  them. 

Possibly  the  most  destructive  living  thing  in  that 
region  is  the  termix  voratrix,  the  white  ant,  which  under- 
mines the  ground  and  eats  up  everything  everywhere. 
The  huge  heaps,  sometimes  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  made 
by  these  ants,  are  constructed  so  that  they  can  protect 
themselves  by  climbing  on  these  high  places  when  the 
country  is  under  water.  These  little  brutes  devour  the 
grain,  the  baskets,  the  utensils  of  the  natives,  and  even 
the  wood  of  the  rafters  in  their  huts,  unless  the  in- 
habitants keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  them,  and  frequently 
tap  the  wood,  the  concussion  as  they  believe  stunning 
and  even  killing  the  termix. 

Mosquitoes  naturally  swarm  in  such  a  marshy  region, 
and  are  tantalizing  to  men  and  animals  alike.  For- 
tunately, one  never  sees  them  while  the  sun  is  above  the 
horizon,  but  from  sunset  to  sunrise  they  make  life  quite 
unbearable. 

The  Shiluk  fumigate  their  huts  with  dense  smoke, 
so  as  to  protect  themselves  from  the  mosquitoes,  and 
they  also  sleep   on   a  layer  of  white  ashes    from    cow 


3i8  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

dung,  which  is  really  a  greater  protection  than  sleeping 
under  a  mosquito  net,  although  the  remedy  seems  to  be 
far  worse  than  the  evil  itself.  Even  when  sitting  out 
of  doors  they  sit  on  skins  or  on  mats  of  ambatch,  burning 
near  them  heaps  of  cow  dung  which  produce  clouds  of 
dense  smoke. 

Shiluk  huts  are  generally  conical,  or  of  a  slightly 
flattened  dome  shape.  They  have  but  few  things  in  the 
interior  of  their  dwellings,  with  the  exception  of  the 
hides  or  mats  on  which  they  sit  or  lie.  These  people 
are  vain,  and  as  long  as  they  possess  sufficient  cow-dung 
ashes  and  fluid  direct  from  the  bladder — two  essential 
articles  in  their  toilette,  as  well  as  in  their  culinary 
arrangements — they  are  as  happy  as  possible.  Their 
cooking  pots  and  milk  vessels  are  always  washed  with 
cows'  water,  probably  in  order  to  counterbalance  the 
lack  of  salt  in  that  region. 

The  Shiluk  are  extremely  kind  to  their  animals, 
especially  their  oxen  and  cows.  After  grazing,  when 
they  bring  them  back  to  their  villages,  they  make  them 
walk  between  fires  of  reeds  so  as  to  free  them  from 
mosquitoes.  Big  fires  are  kept  up  all  night  around 
them,  in  order  to  protect  them  as  much  as  possible  from 
the  stings. 

Besides  the  oxen,  sheep  and  goats,  the  Shiluk  possess 
a  good  deal  of  poultry  and  innumerable  dogs,  not  unlike 
greyhounds,  with  hair  of  a  reddish-brown  colour  and  a 
much  elongated  muzzle. 

There  is  little  wood  in  the  Shiluk  country — in  fact, 
practically  none,  if  the  dum  palm,  scarce,  is  ex- 
cepted, of  which  one  sees  one  or  two  here  and  there 
near  Shiluk  villages,  usually  in  the  centre  of  the  village, 
where   their   war-drums   are   generally   fastened,   so   as 


THE   VEGETATION  319 

to  convey  signals  of  danger,  or  of  hunting  or  of  fishing 
expeditions.  The  Shiluk  possess  quite  an  elaborate 
code  of  signals  upon  these  drums. 

The  higlig,  or  balanites  cegyptiaca,  and  the  deleh  and 
dum  are,  indeed,  about  the  only  fructiferous  palms  in 
the  Shiluk  country. 

The  flowers  on  land  are  few  and  ugly,  but  not  so 
upon  the  water,  where  lotuses  and  water-lilies  of  white, 
blue  and  crimson,  the  nymphcea  stellata  and  the  nymphcea 
lotus  are  to  be  seen.  The  Ethiopian  vallisneria,  with  its 
spiral  peduncles,  rises  upon  its  coiling  stalks  some  six 
feet  up  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  is  most  remark- 
able for  its  sexual  development.  The  adenia  venenata^ 
a  creeper  with  a  fairly  pretty  flower,  possesses  poisonous 
leaves,  used  by  the  natives  for  producing  blisters. 
Animals  are  frequently  poisoned  by  this  plant,  which  is 
extremely  common  in  the  Shiluk  country. 

The  water-fern,  the  azolla,  and  also  the  pistia,  are 
common  enough  in  the  papyrus  region  ;  also  masses  of 
trapa,  a  water-nut,  and  the  yellow  ottelia,  not  unlike 
sesamum,  producing  a  gelatinous  liquid  said  to  be  good 
for  indigestion  when  dried  and  pounded  into  powder. 

There  are  also  innumerable  weeds,  which  form  the 
great  grass  barrier,  el  sett,  usually  miscalled  in  English, 
"  sudd.'' 

The  amhatch  is  plentiful,  and  more  plentiful  still  the 
umsusa,  technically  vossia  procera,  a  most  troublesome 
grass,  with  its  leaf  sheaths  covered  with  hair-like 
adhesive  bristles,  which  when  touched  produce  most 
tiresome  itching  and  irritation. 

There  were  a  few  clusters  of  gummiferous  acacia, 
and  further  back  inland  a  number  of  tamarind  trees, 
with    dark-coloured    leaves.     The    tree-like    euphorbia^ 


320  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

with  its  candelabra  branches^  which  belongs  to  the 
cadacccB  order,  and  is  similar  to  the  euphorbia  of 
Abyssinia,  is  also  frequently  to  be  seen.  It  reproduces 
itself  with  wonderful  facility  and  rapidity,  and  is  at  all 
times  difficult  to  kill. 

Beyond  Lake  No  we  were  in  the  Denka  country. 
Thousands  of  cattle  could  be  seen  to  the  south  of  the 
river  belonging  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  region.  Then 
came  more  flat  country  of  mud  and  slush.  Flamingoes 
of  various  families  stood  pompously  about,  most  of  them 
black,  with  long,  arched  backs,  and  a  larger  kind,  grey, 
with  black  wings  and  tail.  Further  back  on  dry  land 
were  thousands  of  cattle. 

The  euphorbia  candelabrum  could  be  seen  here  and 
there,  the  milky-white  substance  discharged  by  it  when 
an  incision  is  made  being  poisonous.  It  is  used  ex- 
tensively by  the  Denka  for  poisoning  their  spear- 
heads. They  make  the  steel  red-hot,  and  dip  it  in  the 
white  sap,  which  is  absorbed  and  retained  in  the  closing 
pores  of  the  metal  during  the  cooling  process.  This  is  a 
similar  cactus  to  the  one  common  in  many  parts  of 
Abyssinia,  especially  near  Harrar,  where  we  have  seen 
the  Galla  make  hedges  of  them  round  their  kraals,  and 
also  in  Western  Abyssinia,  where  regular  forests  of  them 
are  to  be  found.  Here  in  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  there  were 
only  a  few,  and  the  tallest  I  saw  was  not  more  than 
twenty  feet  high.  The  branches  and  leaves  were  not 
so  fat,  but  they  seemed  more  numerous  than  those  of 
the  kind  found  at  greater  elevations  in  Abyssinia. 

We  then  came  to  a  portion  of  the  country  slightly 
more  wooded  with  mimosa  trees.  The  banks  of  the 
river  were  here  somewhat  higher,  about  four  feet  above 
the  river  level,  and  the  stream  itself  was  comparatively 


THE    SUDD  321 

free  from  sudd  and  floating  vegetation.  It  had  here 
a  width  of  clear  water  of  forty  to  fifty  yards.  Beyond 
this  region  we  came  to  a  few  thatched  huts^  where  we 
found  another  tribe  of  Nuer  again,  who  varied  httle 
from  the  Nuer  we  had  found  on  the  Sobat. 

These  people  had  almost  aquiline  noses,  much 
elongated  at  the  base,  and  big,  prominent  lips  disclosing 
long,  white  upper  teeth.  The  four  lower  teeth  had  been 
removed  as  with  the  other  Nuer.  Long-legged,  with  high 
square  shoulders,  they  w^ere  like  the  others,  thin-bodied 
with  somewhat  disjointed  supple-looking  limbs,  the 
arms  appearing  too  short  in  proportion  to  the  legs.  The 
ears  of  these  people  were  badly  formed,  coarse  and 
placed  somewhat  higher  on  the  cranium  than  the  posi- 
tion in  which  the  ears  are  generally  found  in  most 
races. 

The  outer  rims  of  the  ears  of  one  man  I  saw  were 
simply  covered  with  brass  rings,  each  ring  being  inserted 
into  a  separate  hole. 

The  length  from  the  nose  at  the  nostrils  to  the  chin 
was  much  greater  than  from  that  same  point  to  the  top 
of  the  skull. 

The  hair  was  dyed  red  and  tied  into  a  knot  behind 
the  head,  or  else  left  fluffy  and  flying  in  the  wind. 

Here,  too,  their  hands  were  almost  atrophied,  or  at 
any  rate  much  swollen,  by  wearing  tight  bracelets 
which  had  never  been  removed  from  youth  up. 

Further  west  we  came  to  the  Bahr-el-Arab,  which 
had  been  explored,  for  the  first  time,  only  a  few  months 
before  I  went  through,  by  Lieutenant  Walsh,  of  the 
Royal  Navy,  in  the  employ  of  the  Sudan  Government. 

We  were  stopped  several  times  by  sudd^  until  we 
W'Cre  able  to  cut  a  passage  ;  then  on  our  right  we  came 

VOL.    I.  21 


322  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

to  the  Djur  River,  most  difficult  to  perceive  owing  to 
the  water  vegetation  blocking  the  entire  mouth  of  the 
stream. 

The  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  on  which  we  were,  was  here 
quite  narrow  and  overgrown  on  either  side  with  papyrus 
and  reeds.  We  observed  occasional  patches  of  trees 
in  the  distance,  and  a  higher  cluster  of  trees  stood  now 
before  us,  now  behind,  or  at  the  side.  Each  time  we 
looked  at  it,  it  was  in  a  different  direction,  as  the  Bahr- 
el-Ghazal  described  a  most  circuitous  course. 

We  had  quite  an  exciting  moment  on  board,  as  we 
carried  a  large  quantity  of  dynamite  for  the  military 
post  of  Wau.  Through  the  carelessness  of  a  native, 
who  upset  a  can  of  petroleum  and  set  it  on  fire,  we 
had  the   delightful  prospect  of  a  little  explosion. 

It  took  us  several  hours  to  go  the  last  few  yards 
towards  our  destination,  the  ''  heavenly  spot  "  of  Meshra- 
el-Rek,  as  we  got  stuck  many  times  in  the  pestilential, 
putrid  water,  stirring  up  black,  stinking,  decomposed 
vegetation  from  the  river  bottom  as  we  tried  to  shove 
along. 

We  arrived  in  Meshra  harbour,  thirty  yards  long  by 
ten  wide,  a  sort  of  cul-de-sac  of  stagnant  water,  in  the 
afternoon  of  April  nth.  If  an  international  competi- 
tion were  arranged  to  give  a  prize  to  the  most  unhealthy, 
dreary,  inhospitable,  hot,  poisonous  place  on  the  face 
of  the  earth,  I  am  certain  Meshra  would  win  it  easily. 


323 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

Yes,  Meshra  was  a  musty,  mouldy,  fetid  hole,  in  which 
the  natives  themselves  refused  to  live.  There  were  a 
few  traders,  one  or  two  officials,  and  some  Sudanese 
soldiers,  all  ailing  with  fever  and  in  a  pitiable  plight. 
The  mamur  himself  was  ill. 

No  means  of  transport  of  any  kind  could  be  obtained, 
and  even  goods  for  the  Governor  and  Government 
officials  in  the  capital  at  Wau  had  to  remain  in  this 
place  for  lack  of  porterage. 

The  place  consisted  of  four  small  corrugated  iron 
buildings  and  a  sort  of  walled  enclosure — a  fort,  it  is 
called — a  mere  mud  shelter  for  military  stores. 

Twenty  Sudanese  soldiers  and  a  native  officer  were 
stationed  here,  and  there  were  two  Greeks,  one  the  agent 
of  Angelo  H.  Capato,  the  enterprising  merchant  of 
Khartoum.  Their  business  consisted  mostly  in  forward- 
ing to  Khartoum  ivory  purchased  further  inland  ;  they 
also  carried  on  a  little  trade  in  tinned  provisions  with 
the  few  British  officers  in  the  capital  of  the  Bahr-el- 
Ghazal. 

Meshra,  with  an  area  of  only  a  few  hundred  square 
yards,  is  situated  on  a  small  island,  in  a  sort  of  lagoon. 
A  few  wells  have  been  dug,  the  water  of  which  is  not 
quite  so  deadly  as  the  pestilential  ink-like  fluid  from 
the  lagoon. 

The  Tonj   river  enters  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  near  this 

VOL.    I.  21* 


324  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

cul-de-sac^  just  before  reaching  Meshra.  The  mouth  of 
this  stream  is  always  so  blocked  with  papyrus  and 
reeds  that  it  is  not  possible  to  discover  where  it  is  unless 
one  knows  its  exact  situation.  No  current  is  noticeable. 
In  this  pool,  in  which  we  anchored,  we  heard  at  night 
many  hippopotami,  and  one  of  the  officers  on  board 
killed  a  couple  of  crocodiles. 

A  flat  circular-leaved,  long-stemmed  lotus  plant 
with  white  flowers  was  extremely  plentiful  in  the 
water. 

The  Government  officials  seemed  perplexed  in  this 
place,  and  I  think  that  orders  from  headquarters  made 
them  even  more  helpless.  It  would  be  unsafe  for  a 
traveller  to  go  into  that  country  unless  quite  independent 
of  everybody,  as  credentials  from  the  higher  officials, 
including  the  Sirdar  in  Khartoum,  seemed  of  little  help 
in  that  region. 

As  I  had  my  own  animals,  to  which  I  added  a  few 
more  which  I  was  able  to  obtain  from  good  Father 
Tappi,  who  was  returning  to  Europe,  I  proceeded, 
on  the  day  of  my  arrival,  towards  Wau,  the  capital  of  the 
Bahr-el-Ghazal.  I  had  now  only  five  men  with  me 
to  look  after  my  new  caravan  of  donkeys,  and  when  I 
came  to  start  at  sunset  four  out  of  the  five  were  dead 
drunk.  The  Somali,  the  only  sober  one  of  the  group,  and 
I,  also  quite  sober,  had  to  pack  all  the  loads  upon  the 
animals. 

In  order  to  reach  terra  firma  we  crossed  the  long 
tumble-down  dyke  made  across  the  ugly  swamp,  through 
which  it  was  formerly  necessary  to  wade,  with  mud  up 
to  one's  neck,  for  over  a  mile.  As  I  travelled  in  the 
evening,  my  donkeys,  not  properly  looked  after  by  my 
drunken    men,    went     all     over     the     place,     and    the 


THE   DENKA   COUNTRY  325 

loads  were  constantly  getting  scattered  upon  the  trail. 
A  storm  came  on.  Storms  always  did  when  you  least 
wanted  them.  It  got  pitch  dark  towards  eight  or  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  at  a  moment  when  I  had 
stopped  to  pack  up  the  loads  on  one  rebellious  donkey, 
thunder  nearly  deafened  us  and  rain  came  down  in 
sheets.  The  other  animals  got  ahead  and  strayed  away 
from  the  trail  and  I  lost  them  all.  It  took  the  Somali 
and  me  the  best  part  of  the  night  to  find  them  again 
and  to  recover  the  loads  which  were  strewn  all  over 
the  place. 

On  xApril  13th  I  arrived  at  Amien,  where  a  Denka 
village  and  half  a  dozen  tiikles,  or  shelters  for  officials, 
stood  on  the  left  of  the  road.  There  was  a  deep  well 
here,  but  this  being  the  dry  season  there  was  no  water 
in  it  ;  the  only  water  we  were  able  to  obtain  at  the  place 
being  rain  water  from  filthily  dirty  holes,  and,  in  appear- 
ance, not  unlike  milk  gone  bad. 

The  Denka  country,  roughly  speaking,  extends  all 
over  the  low,  perfectly  flat  plain  of  greenish-black 
alluvial  clay  and  rock  that  lies  between  the  Bahr-el- 
Djebel  and  the  eastern  limit  (marked  in  that  region  by 
the  River  Djur)  of  the  enormous  table-land  of  ferruginous 
soil  and  rock,  with  isolated  mounds  of  gneiss,  and  extend- 
ing westwards. 

These  Denka  resembled,  with  variations,  those  we 
have  met  further  east.  This  particular  tribe  indulged 
in  four  cuts  on  both  sides  of  the  forehead,  these  cuts 
converging  downwards.  Like  other  Denka,  like  the 
Shiluk  and  Nuer,  these  people  were  long-legged,  and 
their  shoulders  were  high  and  square-looking,  but  not 
broad. 

Nevertheless,  although  it  was  plain  enough  that  these 


326  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Denka  were  allied  to  the  Shiluk,  they  were  neither  so 
tall,  nor  were  their  legs  quite  of  such  abnormal  length 
as  those  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  White  Nile  and  Sobat. 
Few  of  them,  if  any,  reached  six  feet  in  height,  although 
their  average  height  exceeded,  I  think,  that  of  English- 
men. A  somewhat  elongated  neck,  great  breadth  of  jaw 
and  prominent  lips,  were  again  noticeable.  The  skull 
was  flattened  and  narrow.  The  scanty  hair  was  usually 
closely  shorn,  hence  the  prevalent  use  of  wigs  or  caps  of 
basket-work  or  beads.  The  women,  too,  shaved  the 
hair  close.  Cow's  urine,  as  well  as  dung  and  ashes,  were 
much  used  by  the  Denka  in  their  toilette,  particularly 
in  order  to  dye  the  hair  of  a  reddish  tint. 

As  we  have  already  seen  on  the  Sobat,  the  Denka 
never  use  bows  and  arrows,  but  are  skilful  enough  with 
their  spears  and  war-clubs.  The  latter,  perhaps,  made 
either  from  the  balanites  cegyptiaca  or  from  the  drospyrus 
mespiliformiSj  the  local  ebony,  are  the  most  character- 
istic weapon  of  the  race,  as  well  as  the  cylindrical  or 
half-cylindrical  arrangement  for  parrying  the  blows  of 
clubs. 

There  is  also  another  instrument  somewhat  like  a 
bow  which  is  used  for  a  similar  purpose,  and  which  we 
have  already  seen  among  other  tribes. 

Like  the  Yambo  and  the  Shiluk,  but  unHke  the  Nuer, 
these  Denka  were  extraordinarily  clean  people  in  their 
food  and  in  their  dwellings.  No  vermin  was  to  be  found 
inside  their  huts,  but  snakes  were  plentiful  in  the  thatch 
of  their  homes.  These,  however,  were  not  poisonous, 
and  of  no  great  size.  The  commonest  kinds  were  the 
ahcBtuella  irregularis,  and  the  psammophis  sibilans,  the 
latter  so  called  because  of  the  hissing  noise  it  makes 
when  attacked. 


SNAKES  327 

I  was  told  that  many  large  pythons  existed  in  the 
country,  but  I  never  saw  them.  Both  the  Denka  and 
the  Shiluk — although  they  can  hardly  be  called  snake 
worshippers — seemed  respectful  to  snakes,  which  they 
never  killed.  I  believe  this  is  partly  because  these 
reptiles  kept  their  huts  free  from  insects,  and  therefore 
they  were  made  practically  into  pets. 

Most  Denka  huts — more  spacious  and  durable  than 
those  of  other  tribes — and  villages  are  encircled  by 
fields  of  dhura,  and  the  inhabitants  own  a  considerable 
number  of  cattle. 

The  dhura  and  grain  of  the  pencillaria  are  pounded 
and  sifted  into  fine  meal  and  are  quite  good  to  eat — 
indeed,  the  cuisine  of  the  Denka  is  not  only  clean  but 
elaborate.  The  arachis  is  cultivated,  as  well  as  several 
kinds  of  beans.  They  do  not  eat  dogs  and  snakes 
and  putrid  meat,  like  tribes  we  shall  find  further  west, 
but  are  most  particular  in  their  selection  of  animal 
food.  Hares  and  wildcat,  tortoises,  gazelles,  and  ante- 
lopes they  dearly  like. 

The  Denka  have  large  herds  of  sheep — a  typical 
breed  of  their  own,  short-haired  and  with  a  mane — 
somewhat  resembling  the  breed  to  be  found  in  certain 
parts  of  Morocco.  Their  goats  resemble  those  of 
Abyssinia  ;  only  those  of  the  Denka  are  larger.  These 
goats  are  great  climbers  in  regions  where  they  can  feed 
on  leaves  of  trees. 

Owing  to  the  great  moisture  in  their  country  and  the 
fetid  quality  of  water  in  the  rain  pools — simply  a  living 
mass  of  germs — their  cattle  and  sheep  suffer  a  good  deal 
from  intestinal  worms.  Leeches  of  various  genera  are 
to  be  found  in  immense  numbers,  and  cause  the  animals 
a  good  deal  of  suffering.     I  think  that  it  is  due  to  these 


328  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

leeches  and  the  immense  amomit  of  blood  they  suck 
from  the  stomach  and  arteries  that  the  animals  in  the 
Denka  country  never  possess  any  fat.  There  is  one 
kind  of  leech  in  particular,  a  repulsive  little  oval  bag 
of  a  greenish  colour,  which  swells  out  when  full  of  blood 
to  the  size  and  shape  of  a  sparklet  cartridge.  I  have 
sometimes  removed  dozens  of  them  from  the  legs  of 
my  animals.  Between  the  legs,  behind  the  ears,  under 
the  lips  and  neck,  were  favourite  places  for  these 
parasites. 

Although  at  Meshra  mosquitoes  swarmed  in  millions, 
at  Amien,  only  eleven  miles  further,  we  were  able  to 
sleep  undisturbed  without  mosquito  nets.  We  left  this 
camp  in  the  afternoon,  and  marched  through  flat  country 
with  only  a  few  trees  here  and  there. 

All  this  region  is  swampy  during  the  rainy  season. 
The  long  bridge  which  had  been  made  across  the  worst 
place  had  now  collapsed. 

Ten  miles  further,  towards  8.30  in  the  evening,  we 
arrived  at  Medal,  where  we  fortunately  found  a  good 
well.  Here  I  had  another  disaster,  which  in  a  way 
afforded  me  pleasure.  I  had  a  large  tent  with  a  bath- 
room attached  to  it  of  khaki-coloured  waterproof. 
This  stuff,  smeared  over  with  a  rubber  preparation, 
was  highly  inflammable.  The  sparks  from  some  lighted 
wood  carried  by  one  of  my  men  set  it  ablaze,  so  that 
in  a  few  minutes  the  tent  was  rendered  useless.  I  had 
reluctantly  kept  this  heavy  tent  because  the  rainy 
season  was  now  coming  on  and  I  thought  I  might  need 
it.  I  was  glad  I  had  such  a  good  opportunity  for  dis- 
carding it  as  it  was  heavy  to  carry. 

We  experienced  steamy  hot,  quite  oppressive,  weather 
on   our  next   march  across  flat,   uninteresting  country. 


CHAMELEONS   AND   LIZARDS  329 

We  saw  a  lot  of  giraffes  near  the  road,  but  I  never  fired 
at  these  animals  for  two  reasons.  First  of  all,  because 
it  was  forbidden  by  the  Government ;  then  because  they 
were  too  tame  and  their  skins  useless. 

There  were  beautiful  birds  flying  about,  small  green 
parrots  in  quantities,  and  tiny  blue  silky-coated 
humming-birds.  Upon  the  ground  crawled  a  great 
variety  of  beautiful  lizards  and  chameleons  of  wonderful 
gradations  of  tints,  from  the  richest  and  warmest 
cadmium  yellow  to  the  deepest  ultramarine  blue. 

One  beautifully  shaped  smooth-bodied  lizard  in 
stripes  of  yellow  and  dark  brown  was  also  noticeable, 
the  yellow  blending  into  a  faint  blue  which  gradually 
got  darker  until  it  became  deep  and  rich  towards  the 
end  of  the  tail.  The  most  common  chameleons  possessed 
bright  yellowish  heads,  dark  blue  bodies,  and  a  yellow 
ringed  tail  of  light  blue  with  a  black  tip.  There  was 
then  another  kind  of  rough-skinned  chameleon  in  all 
shades  of  vivid  browns  and  greens.  Dozens  of  them 
played  around  me  at  the  "  Gemaiza"  tree,  where  I  had 
stopped  for  my  lunch. 

There  were  three  wells  here,  thirty  to  thirty-five  feet 
deep,  with  putrid  water  that  stank  as  we  brought  the 
bucket  up  to  the  surface. 

In  three  more  hours'  march  that  day  we  arrived  at 
Gedain,  where  another  beautiful  tree  was  to  be  seen 
and  a  number  of  tukles  in  course  of  construction. 

More  Denka  were  to  be  found  here,  all  with  four 
cuts  on  each  side  of  the  forehead  ;  men  and  women 
adorned  with  a  pointed  leather  tail  behind.  Some 
wore  quite  a  large  tail,  not  unlike  that  of  a  modern  dress- 
coat.  Most  of  these  tails  were  made  of  tanned  leather, 
but  many  people  wore  tiny  tails  of  antelope  or  water- 


330  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

buck.  Several  women  showed  broad  bands  of  small 
white  and  red  beads  with  a  fringe  of  rope  just  over  the 
loins. 

Young  men  displayed  two  rows  of  parallel  dots 
upon  their  skin  running  down  each  side  of  the  body 
from  directly  under  the  breasts  to  the  genital  organs,  and 
eventually  forming  an  angle.  All  the  men  shaved  the 
greater  portion  of  the  skull,  leaving  a  circular  tuft  of 
hair  at  the  back  of  the  head,  into  which  they  stuck 
porcupine  quills  or  ostrich  feathers,  as  the  fashion  of  the 
day  prompted  them.  The  women  shaved  a  good  portion 
of  the  side  hair  and  also  part  of  the  top  of  the  head. 
They  plaited  what  remained  into  tiny  tresses,  which 
they  often  smeared  with  butter  and  red  earth. 

Although  we  still  found  a  few  men  who  covered 
themselves  with  ashes,  the  custom  was  not  so  general 
here  as  further  east. 

Denka  houses  had  a  narrow  mud  wall  four  feet  high. 
A  thatched  roof,  constructed  separately,  was  placed 
bodily  upon  this  wall  when  completed.  A  small  open 
porch  adjoined  the  front  of  the  house,  and  several  small 
peepholes  were  to  be  seen  around  the  wall  of  the 
hut. 

The  fashion  of  wearing  many  rings  in  separate  holes 
all  the  way  round  the  curve  of  the  ears  was  common 
among  these  people. 

We  fared  badly  for  water,  as  there  was  none  on  the 
road,  except  at  these  wells,  or  in  the  small  pools  which 
had  been  dug  by  natives  or  by  the  Government.  Some 
of  these  pools  were  only  ten  feet  or  so  below  the  level  of 
the  ground  in  sandy  soil.  They  contained  a  few  inches 
of  water,  possibly  as  much  as  a  small  wash-basinful. 

After  the  hot  marches,  when  we  arrived  anywhere 


FOUL   WATER  331 

insatiably  thirsty,  especially  in  the  evening,  we  generally 
found  natives  sitting  in  these  pools  washing  their  limbs 
and  body.  As  this  was  the  only  water  we  could  find, 
it  did  not  make  us  particularly  amiable  towards  the  local 
residents,  and  we  had  to  face  the  problem  whether  we 
would  resign  ourselves  to  die  of  thirst  or  use  it  as  best 
we  could.  I  do  not  know  that  boiling  it  improved  it 
much.  We  generally  disguised  it  into  strong  coffee, 
but  there  was  so  much  lime  in  many  of  these  wells 
that  even  the  strongest  coffee  we  brewed  was  hardly 
less  white  than  pure  milk.  It  generally  hurt  one's 
gums  and  palate  considerably,  as  it  burnt  to  no  trifling 
extent. 

From  Gedain  the  trail  was  good,  sandy  in  only  one 
or  two  places.  Mimosas  of  the  gherar  type  were  to  be 
found  here  also,  but  were  not  so  luxuriant  as  those  we 
had  met  in  Abyssinia.  We  were  now  getting  into 
somewhat  thicker  forest,  with  many  fan  palms  of  great 
height  and  a  fruit  palm,  the  deleb. 

At  a  place  called  Bir-el-Gherad,  sixty-two  miles  from 
Meshra,  we  came  on  two  more  pools  of  filthy  milky 
water,  ten  or  twelve  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
and  also  a  deeper  well  equally  filthy  but  of  a  slightly 
better  flavour.  Here,  too,  the  strongest  and  blackest 
coffee  that  could  be  made  really  looked  like  cafc^  au  lait, 
with  two- thirds  of  it  milk. 

I  made  a  wonderful  purchase  from  some  natives  of 
thirteen  eggs  at  a  cost  four  times  higher  than  the  best 
new-laid  eggs  in  London.  When  I  came  to  eat  them 
twelve  had  chickens  in  them  ready  to  come  out — if  they 
had  not  been  boiled — and  so  much  gas  had  formed 
in  the  thirteenth,  in  its  putrefied  condition,  that  it 
exploded  with  a  loud  report  when   I   tapped  it.     The 


332  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

smallest  and  most  skeleton-like  chickens  fetched  one 
shilling  each  in  this  country,  and  at  best  were  unfit  to 
eat. 

My  animals  were  suffering  a  good  deal,  as  at  most 
of  these  places  there  was  just  sufficient  water  for  the 
men,  but  none  could  be  procured  for  the  animals.  I 
generally  marched  early  in  the  morning  and  late  in  the 
evening,  as  the  heat  was  intense  for  my  donkeys,  who 
were  much  overladen  and  suffered  from  thirst  as  well  as 
from  lack  of  good  food. 

Some  miles  from  this  last  camp  we  reached  a  place 
called  Dug-Dug,  where  we  had  expectations  of  finding  a 
good  well. 

"  Oh,  monsieur,"  exclaimed  my  faithful  Somali, 
as  he  quickly  pulled  out  half  a  bucketful,  "  this  water  is 
very  good,  monsieur.     It  is  just  like  milk." 

In  fact,  all  the  water  of  all  the  wells  contained  so 
much  calcium  that  it  resembled  a  white,  syrupy  cream 
when  it  was  clean,  but  generally  took  bilious  deadly 
green  and  yellow  tints  when  it  was  not  quite  pure. 
Hence  the  exclamation  of  my  attendant  when  he  saw 
water  of  such  pure  white. 

Since  leaving  Gambela  on  the  Sobat  I  had  with  me 
three  small  ostriches,  which  had  become  quite  tame  and 
were  following  me  about  like  dogs.  These  poor  little 
friends  of  mine  suffered  so  much  from  drinking  foul 
water  that  at  one  time  they  disappeared  and  I  was 
unable  to  find  them  again.  It  seemed  as  if  they  re- 
belled against  coming  any  further.  However,  late  in 
the  evening  they  returned  to  my  camp,  but  they 
appeared  ill.  One  of  them  was  taken  with  a  violent 
colic  and  died.     Another  died  shortly  after. 

The  Denka  of  this  region  wore  a  high  pointed  cap  made 


A   LIVELY    NIGHT  333 

of  basket-work,  not  unlike  a  huge  wine  funnel  upside 
down.  In  the  pointed  end  they  stuck  either  one  or  more 
ostrich  feathers  or  highly-coloured  feathers  from  other 
birds. 

We  left  Dug-Dug  in  the  afternoon,  and  passed  the 
well  of  Deleba,  from  which  point  the  country  became 
slightly  more  interesting.  There  were  great  numbers  of 
smooth-stemmed  deleh  palms  of  great  height,  with  the 
usual  swelling  half-way,  and  also  some  of  the  shorter 
dum  palms  with  forked  roots,  and  beautiful  fan-shaped 
leaves  all  the  way  up  the  stem  from  the  ground. 

At  Higlig,  further  on,  there  was  merely  a  pool  of 
pernicious  water.  During  the  night  the  dew  was  heavy, 
the  damp  saturating  everything  with  moisture,  and  the 
air  so  stifling  that  it  seemed  a  typical  place  to  get 
malarial  fever.  Everything  was  soaking  wet  in  the 
morning,  although  we  had  had  no  rain  at  all. 

By  making  an  early  start  on  April  17th  we  soon 
reached  Ayum,  thirty-six  miles  from  Bir-el-Gherad, 
and  here  there  was  a  good  well  some  forty  feet  deep 
of  quite  drinkable  water.  We  found  some  gemaiza,  or 
fig-trees,  producing  fruit  quite  good  to  eat. 

We  heard  the  roaring  of  lions  next  night.  They 
came  quite  close  to  camp.  So  much  so  that  all  my 
donkeys  broke  loose  and  stampeded.  A  tornado  was 
raging  at  the  time,  and  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents. 
What  with  the  Hons  roaring,  the  thunder  and  flashing 
of  lightning,  the  flerce  braying  of  the  donkeys,  and  the 
shrieks  of  my  men,  it  was  a  regular  pandemonium. 

The  trail  which  has  been  made  by  the  Government 
was  here  excellent  and  made  travelling  comparatively 
easy.  There  were  lots  of  abil  trees,  sasabaii,  and  mimosas 
of  great  size,  many  of  which  we  found  on  our  way  to 


334  ACROSS    WIDEST    AFRICA 

Moyem,  twelve  miles  further  on,  where  I  halted  for  the 
night. 

Here  there  was  a  well  of  good  water  at  the  resting 
sheds.  These  rest-houses  were  generally  looked  after 
by  ex-Sudanese  soldiers  employed  as  police.  At  this 
place  the  policeman  was  an  impudent  rascal,  who, 
instead  of  seeing  that  the  laws  of  the  country  were 
obeyed,  was  the  first  to  infringe  the  regulations.  He 
had  killed  a  large  giraffe,  and  had  asked  his  friends  to 
come  and  share  its  meat  that  evening.  Large  pieces 
of  the  giraffe  were  being  brought  over  by  natives,  and 
great  was  the  annoyance  of  this  policeman  when  I 
arrived  on  the  scene  unexpectedly.  Owing  to  the  great 
heat  the  meat  was  fast  decomposing,  and  the  stench  from 
it  was  such  that  it  was  not  possible  to  approach  the 
wells.  I  asked  the  policeman  to  remove  it,  as  any  white 
traveller  has  the  right  to  use  these  sheds.  As  travellers, 
however,  never  go  that  way,  and  as  I  did  not  wear  a 
khaki  helmet  nor  a  brass-buttoned  uniform  like  military 
men,  but  had  merely  a  lounge  suit  and  a  straw  hat,  this 
policeman  was  extremely  insulting. 

I  noticed  that  many  of  these  policemen  seemed 
an  unruly,  disorderly,  drunken  lot,  without  any  manners, 
and  dishonest  to  a  degree,  except  towards  their  officers, 
who,  in  a  way,  are  responsible  for  their  conduct,  as  they 
try  to  impress  on  the  soldiers  that  any  one  who  is  not  a 
military  man  is  equal  to  dirt.  This  man  was  reported, 
of  course,  to  his  superior  officers,  and  it  would  be 
interesting  to  know  whether  he  was  punished  at  all 
even  for  his  crime  of  killing  a  giraffe,  for  which  white 
men  are  punished,  I  believe,  at  the  rate  of  £ioo  fine 
or  three  months'  imprisonment. 

Between  Ayum  and  Makot  the  road  was  excellent, 


THE   DJUR  335 

and  the  landscape  wooded  with  fig-trees  and  mimosas. 
At  Makot  we  were  glad  to  find  a  well  of  fairly  good 
water  and  a  couple  of  tukles. 

On  leaving  again  in  the  afternoon,  we  went  through  a 
forest  of  mimosas  and  fig-trees,  but  we  saw  no  more 
palms.  We  met  occasional  shrubs  of  the  luni,  which 
produce  an  edible  nut  with  a  somewhat  caustic  taste. 
From  high  trees  we  also  got  large  beans,  called  the 
baloto,  which  have  a  sweet  yellow  substance  not  unlike 
cassia  inside  them. 

We  were  now  in  the  Djur  country.  The  villages 
were  palisaded  all  round  to  protect  the  inhabitants 
from  the  attacks  of  wild  animals  at  night.  The  huts 
had  conical  roofs  built  so  as  to  allow  a  space  between 
the  roof  and  the  wall  in  order  to  let  air  circulate.  A 
high  platform  was  generally  to  be  seen  in  front  of  every 
four  or  five  huts,  and  upon  this  platform  rested  mats, 
utensils,  and  the  thatching  for  the  roofs  which  was 
placed  there  to  dry. 

In  front  of  us,  to  the  south-west,  was  now  a  long 
low  hill-range,  if  it  deserves  such  a  name,  as  it  was 
merely  fifty  or  sixty  feet  high — the  first  undulation  I 
had  seen  since  leaving  Abyssinia,  barring  one  or  two 
small  isolated  hills  I  had  discerned  in  the  distance. 

The  Djur  were  principally  noticeable  for  their  ability 
in  working  iron.  They  were,  in  fact,  the  blacksmiths 
of  the  district.  The  Djur  were  particularly  numerous 
at  M'bili  and  Cangia,  where  they  had  many  furnaces  and 
forges. 

These  people  were  in  type  much  like  the  0-chiolla, 
with  almost  identical  features,  ornaments  and  language. 
Whether  they  took  the  name  from  the  river  Djur, 
flowing   into   the   Bahr-el-Ghazal,    where    they   inhabit, 


336  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

or  the  river  took  the  name  from  them,  I  could  not 
exactly  say. 

They  supplied  nearly  all  the  neighbouring  tribes  with 
spear-heads.  It  was  quite  remarkable  to  see  how  these 
people  could  smelt  iron  ore  and  work  the  extracted  metal 
with  considerable  precision,  notwithstanding  the  rudi- 
mentary tools  they  possessed. 

Their  cylindrical  furnaces  showed  a  great  deal  of 
ingenuity  in  the  draught  arrangements  in  order  to 
obtain  high  temperatures.  The  furnace  was  open  at 
the  top  and  possessed  three  apertures  at  the  base,  one 
with  a  channel  of  mud  acting  as  a  chimney.  The  process 
of  smelting  was  shortly  this.  They  first  placed  one  layer 
of  charcoal  of  mahogany  wood,  plentiful  in  that  region, 
and  upon  it  one  layer  of  iron  ore  broken  into  small 
pieces.  Then  again  a  small  layer  of  coal  and  another 
one  of  iron,  and  so  on  until  the  summit  in  the  interior 
of  the  furnace  was  reached.  They  set  fire  to  the  lower 
layer,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  extracted  the  molten 
metal  of  this,  then  causing  each  superposed  layer  to  de- 
scend and  the  coal  to  ignite.  Twenty-four  hours  later 
more  molten  metal  was  collected,  and  so  on  every 
twenty-four  hours  until  the  last  layer  was  exhausted. 
The  metal  was  then  separated  as  much  as  possible  from 
impurities  and  was  smelted  in  earthenware  vessels, 
the  combustion  of  the  fuel  being  aided  by  cleverly- 
devised  bellows  made  of  two  mud  cylinders,  each 
with  an  escape  channel  joining  into  a  common  outlet 
blowing  on  the  fire.  A  loose  skin  was  tied  at  the  upper 
ends  of  each  of  these  cylinders  and  worked  by  hand, 
raised  and  lowered,  by  a  man  standing  between  the  two 
cylinders,  so  as  to  cause  a  constant  draught.  The  metal 
was  then  worked  into  spear-heads,  axes  and  knives. 


A   DJUR   FORGE  337 

Until  quite  lately  all  spear-heads  possessed  by  the 
Denka  were  manufactured  by  the  Djur.  These  people 
did  not  know  how  to  temper  steel  properly.  It  took 
no  less  than  four  men  to  work  a  forge  :  one  to  do  the 
blowing,  two  to  hold  the  metal,  the  other  one  to  strike 
with  a  stone  hammer. 

The  Djur  population  extended  in  a  narrow  crescent 
from  Tonj  to  the  south-east,  to  some  miles  north  of 
Wau. 

Between  Meshra  and  Wau  could  be  noticed  rubber 
vines.  Malual  was  the  first  Djur  village  we  had  en- 
countered on  our  westward  way,  the  Denka  practically 
inhabiting  the  country  eastwards.  This  village  was  only 
three  or  four  hours'  journey  from  Wau,  the  capital  of 
the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  province. 


VOL.  I  22 


338 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Wau,  where  I  arrived  in  the  evening  of  April  i8th,  was 
situated  on  the  site  of  Fort  Desaix,  built  by  Marchand  in 
a  well-selected  spot,  slightly  elevated,  on  volcanic  ferru- 
ginous rock.  The  fort  itself,  well  constructed  of  vol- 
canic boulders  and  mud,  with  an  outside  trench  and  a 
tower  able  to  command  the  country  in  all  directions, 
stood  on  the  left  bank  of  the  stream.  A  red-brick 
building,  used  as  an  arsenal  and  ammunition  magazine, 
had  been  constructed  within  the  walls  of  the  fort,  and 
behind  the  old  fort  another  larger  fortified  enclosure  had 
been  built,  with  corner  towers  enclosing  military  stores, 
etc.  Along  the  bank  of  the  Djur  stood  in  a  row  the 
meek,  tumble-down  residences  of  the  mudir,  or  governor, 
and  of  the  English  officers,  then  beyond,  those  of  the 
Egyptian  Sudanese  officers  and  employees. 

Behind  were  the  barracks,  a  good  hospital,  some 
workshops,  the  quarters  for  the  soldiers'  wives  and 
friends,  and  a  sort  of  market.  Further  away  were  the 
humble  quarters  of  the  Austrian  mission. 

An  attempt  at  gardening  was  being  made  along  the 
stream,  and  an  experimental  farm  had  been  started  under 
the  able  direction  of  a  Polish  gentleman,  Mr.  Skirmunt. 
Beyond  was  thick  forest  with  valuable  wood,  such  as 
ebony  (drospyrus  mespiliformis),  tall  cugenice    and  un- 


WAU,   OR   FORT   DESAIX  339 

caricB,  amorphophallur ,  and  the  red-blossomed  mclas- 
tomacecB,  gardenia  trees,  borassus  palm,  and  the  can- 
delabra-euphorbia ;  also  most  excellent  mahogany. 

In  an  open  space,  which  goes  by  the  name  of  "  The 
Square,"  are  two  or  three  sheds  for  Greek  traders, 
Angelo  Capato,  of  Khartoum,  being  perhaps  the  best 
suppHed  and  the  most  reasonable  in  his  prices.  By  the 
time  goods  reach  this  point,  after  infinite  vicissitudes, 
their  cost  becomes  almost  prohibitive. 

My  instruments  registered  the  elevation  of  Wau  at 
1,310  feet. 

At  the  time  of  my  visit  there  were  in  Wau  some 
four  or  five  British  officers,  all  pleasant,  especially 
Sutherland  Bey,  the  mudir,  who  most  kindly  offered  the 
hospitality  of  the  officers'  mess  and  placed  a  house  at 
my  disposal.  I,  however,  while  thoroughly  appreciating 
the  mudir's  kindness,  was  unable  to  accept  either,  as  I 
never  like  to  be  under  obligations.  I  make  it  a  rule 
seldom  to  accept  anything  from  my  own  countrymen, 
except  upon  payment  or  the  giving  of  an  equivalent. 
I  think  if  this  rule  were  generally  followed,  many  unfair 
remarks  about  travellers  imposing  upon  British  officers 
in  Central  Africa  would  be  avoided. 

In  this  particular  case,  the  local  Government  officials 
seemed,  judging  from  a  despatch  I  received,  destitute  of 
everything,  except  a  newly-imported  American  buggy  ; 
and  it  would  have  been  wrong  to  accept  their  well- 
meant  hospitahty.  Their  shanties — they  could  hardly 
be  called  houses — were  so  leaky  that  waterproof  sheets 
and  mackintoshes  had  to  be  arranged  in  the  interior 
over  the  beds  in  rainy  weather. 

Comparisons  are  always  odious,  but,  having  travelled 
in  many  non-British  countries,  I  am  always  struck  by 
VOL.  I.  22* 


340  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

the  helplessness  of  Britishers  in  the  matter  of  making 
themselves  comfortable  homes  immediately  upon  arriving 
in  tropical  climates.  It  is  true  that  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal 
had  not  been  opened  up  more  than  a  couple  of 
years  when  I  was  there.  Still,  that  would  give 
ample  time  to  build  some  sort  of  dwellings,  the 
roofs  of  which  would  not  be  a  constant  danger  to  the 
residents. 

I  have  seen  French,  Belgian  and  Italian  officers  in 
similar  climes  make  their  own  kilns,  bake  bricks,  extract 
lime  from  shells  (when  lime  was  not  obtainable  from  the 
soil),  and  make  neat  vegetable  gardens  which  were  a 
great  boon  to  their  health  and  happiness.  In  the  mili- 
tary posts  I  visited  in  the  Sudan,  Wau  was  the  only 
place  where  an  attempt  at  gardening  had  been  made — 
and  that  was  only  the  keeping- up  of  Marchand's  garden. 

I  put  up  one  of  my  own  tents  some  distance  from 
the  town  in  a  most  picturesque  spot  along  the  river. 
On  one  or  two  occasions  I  visited  the  Austrian  mission, 
where  a  couple  of  miserable  sheds  were  erected.  The 
poor  father  in  charge  was  pitiably  ill,  and  to  my 
regret  I  hear  that  he  has  since  died  of  fever.  These 
Catholic  missionaries  were  real  martyrs.  They  were 
sent  out  to  these  trying  climates  with  no  comforts  of 
any  kind,  next  to  no  food,  no  money,  and  they  had  to 
live  mostly  on  the  country.  In  their  heavy  black 
gowns,  which  they  seldom  changed,  they  went  about 
among  the  sick  or  ailing,  with  no  hope  of  a  holiday  when 
ill  or  dying,  but  always  in  the  most  critical  moments 
resigned  to  their  fate.  Most  of  them  succumbed,  but 
a  few  with  a  finer  physique,  greater  vitality  and 
brighter  mental  abilities,  survived,  and  even  enjoyed  life. 
Father  Tappi,  whom  I  had  the  great  pleasure  of  meeting 


SUBDIVISIONS    OF   TRIBES  341 

at  Meshra,  was  one  of  them.  Practical,  thoughtful, 
unselfish,  vivacious,  and  with  great  magnetic  influence 
over  the  natives,  this  man  was  indeed  the  type  of 
missionary  one  would  always  like  to  see  sent  out  to  do 
good  work  among  heathens.  His  great  ambition  was 
to  teach  them  trades,  agriculture,  and  how  to  earn  a 
living  honestly.  Religion,  he  said,  would  gradually 
come  in  afterwards,  when  these  people  were  getting 
educated.  Father  Tappi  knew  that  country  probably 
better  than  any  white  man,  and  my  conversations  with 
him  were  most  instructive. 

Between  Meshra  and  Wau  'many  were  the  subdivi- 
sions of  tribes  to  be  found  in  the  country.  First,  the 
Afuk,  the  Furumeh  and  the  Falli,  north  of  our  trail  ; 
and  the  Min,  the  Luanedian,  the  Atok,  Ayur  and  Sadyok, 
to  the  south.  Then  west  of  these  were  the  Djur,  Nyang, 
Aniar,  Regnelol,  Abuk  and  Aguok,  all  these  tribes  being 
east  of  the  course  of  the  Djur  river. 

Few  natives  were,  however,  to  be  seen  along  the  trail 
itself,  as  they  had  all  removed  their  villages  to  distant 
points  where  they  remained  undisturbed.  They  had  no 
communication  with  the  Sudan  Government  officials, 
and  I  was  told  that  they  had  shown  hostility  towards 
individual  officers  on  shooting  expeditions  in  their 
country. 

The  route  between  Meshra-el-Rek  and  Wau  made 
by  the  Government  could  not  be  better  for  local  wants, 
and  the  Sudan  Government  should  be  congratulated 
upon  endeavouring  to  open  an  easy  communication 
between  the  various  points  of  that  country,  and 
establishing  a  regular  postal  service.  Trails  are 
easily  made,  the  land  being  flat  and  the  soil  hard 
enough   in    the   dry   season;    all     that   is   necessary   is 


34^ 


ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 


to  knock  down  a  few  trees  and  keep  the  trail  free  from 
grass  after  the  rains. 

The  entire  distance  from  Meshra  to  Wau,  according 
to  Government  measures,  is  114  miles,  divided  thus  : 


MESHRA 

Dug-Dug 

to  Amien 

II 

to  Deleba  . . 

5 

„  Medal 

6 

„Ayum    .. 

15 

„  E.  Mayik       . . 

5 

,,  Moyem  . . 

12 

„  W.  Mayik     . . 

5 

„  Malual  . . 

12 

„  Gemaiza  Tree 

6 

,,  Tombashi 

2 

,,  Gedain 

9 

„  Malual,  Djur  vil- 

„ Biril  Gozad  . . 

II 

lage    .. 

5 

„  Dug-Dug       . . 

6 

„  WAU    . . 

4 

With  my  caravan  I  covered  the  distance  in  six  days, 
but  I  travelled  briskly.  Sheds  have  been  erected  at 
all  the  more  important  camping  places. 

All  the  men  I  had  taken  to  Wau  left  me,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  obtain  fresh  men  at  this  place,  the  Govern- 
ment having  apparently  no  control  over  the  natives, 
even  for  its  own  use.  I  employed  some  Niam-Niam, 
but  after  having  been  well  fed  in  camp  for  three  or  four 
days,  when  the  moment  came  to  depart,  they  did  depart, 
truly  enough — but  in  a  different  direction  altogether 
from  the  one  in  which  I  wanted  them  to  go,  and  I  never 
saw  them  again. 

At  the  last  moment.  Major  Sutherland,  the  Governor, 
kindly  gave  me  three  natives,  all  that  could  be 
found,  but  they  were  absolutely  useless,  and  they  were 
more  of  a  hindrance  than  a  help.  So  with  practically 
only  one  man,  my  faithful  Somali,  I  packed  up  the 
baggage  on  April  23rd,  and  we  two  loaded  the  entire 
caravan,  while  the  three  newly-employed  natives  sat 
gracefully    upon    their  haunches  watching  us.      On  no 


Adem,  the  Author's  faithful  Somali. 


TRYING   TIMES    IN   STORE  343 

account  could  these  three  men  be  induced  to  go  near 
the  donkeys.  They  feared  them  more  than  hons  or 
elephants. 

The  heat  was  intense.  From  this  moment  I  well 
grasped  that  we  should  have  further,  hard  times  in 
looking  after  the  animals.  My  Somali  and  I  would  have 
to  do  all  the  running  about  and  the  trying  work  of 
recovering  the  loads  and  putting  them  on  again  every 
time  they  fell  off. 

We  left  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  as,  come  what 
might,  I  would  continue.  I  had  a  sort  of  suspicion 
that  obstacles  were  placed  in  my  way  so  that  I  should 
not  get  on.  Perhaps  this  was  the  case,  perhaps  not. 
It  little  mattered  to  me. 

With  my  straw  hat  at  a  dangerous  angle  upon  my 
head  and  my  best  blue  serge  suit — such  as  I  should 
wear  to  walk  down  Piccadilly  in  summer-time — I  started 
off,  somewhat  to  the  amazement  of  the  British  officers, 
making  the  donkeys  march  briskly  before  me  with  my 
courbash. 

"  Where  are  your  men  ?  "  shouted  one  officer. 

"I  do  not  need  any  men.     Good-bye." 

"  Have  you  no  helmet  to  protect  your  head  from  the 
sun  ?  " 

**  I  need  no  protection  of  any  kind,  thank  you." 

And  on  we  went,  outside  the  military  post,  then 
getting  into  the  forest,  soon  after  leaving  the  part 
that  had  been  cleared  of  trees.  The  country  was 
slightly  undulating,  with  mere  corrugations,  hardly 
more  than  ten  feet  in  height.  The  first  undulation 
was  close  to  Wau,  and  upon  it  the  new  officers' 
quarters  will  eventually  be  constructed,  as  it  is 
of  a  rocky,  volcanic  formation,  with  plenty  of  iron  in 


344  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

it.  The  new  building  will  be  slightly  healthier  than 
the  quarters  which  the  officers  have  at  present. 

Others  of  these  undulations,  further  out,  were  some- 
what higher,  possibly  some  twenty  feet  or  so,  and  were 
also  of  red  volcanic  rock.  There  were,  indeed,  great 
patches  of  this  ferruginous  stone,  and  we  wended  our 
way  along  the  good  trail  amid  innumerable  fig-trees, 
lu  and  lulu,  drospyrus  mespiliformis,  eugenice  and 
uncaricB. 

Close  to  Abu  Shakka,  twelve  miles  from  Wau,  were 
three  sheds.  The  trail  ran  practically  due  west  until  we 
got  close  to  the  last  hill,  where  we  proceeded  slightly 
south-west. 

There  were  plenty  of  fig-trees  all  along,  and  some 
rubber  vines,  acacias  and  wild  fruit-trees,  some  quite 
deadly,  others  not  so  bad  to  eat,  among  these  being  a 
yellow  elongated  fruit,  and  the  haloto  beans,  which  were 
quite  good. 

There  were  here  many  Golo,  who  have  villages  in  this 
region,  and  further  west,  especially  near  Kaiaongo. 
Another  tribe  inhabits  further  south  upon  the  Wau 
river.  The  Golo  build  their  houses  solidly  and  neatly, 
quite  unlike  their  neighbours,  the  Bellanda,  who  live 
north  of  the  Golo  tribe,  upon  the  Wau  river. 

Each  Golo  family  occupies  a  site  upon  the  Chiefs 
land,  and  each  erects  a  zeriha  of  wooden  pillars,  with  as 
many  huts  inside  as  the  head  of  the  family  possesses 
wives.  The  huts  are  of  wood,  plastered  inside,  with 
low  walls  and  a  rectangular  door,  generally  kept  closed 
by  a  mat.  Near  the  hut  is  always  a  granary  or  store- 
house. Under  the  granary  a  morraca,  or  stone  mill,  is 
invariably  to  be  found.  In  many  of  these  houses  are 
several  of  these  morraca,  and  Father  Tappi,  I  remember, 


THE   GOLO  345 

once  told  me  that  he  saw  as  many  as  three  of  these 
morracas  in  one  hut. 

The  great  regularity  of  construction  of  Golo  roofs  is 
mostly  due  to  the  bamboo  rafters  used.  As  is  the  case  at 
Abu  Shakka,  the  Golo  frequently  put  up,  round  their 
zerihas,  a  strong  palisade,  which  they  hide  behind  a 
thatch  of  grass  so  as  to  deceive  the  enemy. 

Like  the  Yambo,  these  people  use  a  wonderful 
cement,  which  they  extract  from  a  particular  clay  in  the 
river.  They  use  it  both  for  plastering  their  huts  and 
for  covering  over  their  graves.  This  cement  contains 
a  good  deal  of  iron,  which  is  perhaps  responsible  for  its 
great  solidity  when  dried  up  in  the  great  heat  of  the 
sun. 

I  cannot  say  that  the  Golo  women  were  attractive, 
nor,  indeed,  the  Golo  men  either.  They  most  of  them 
possessed  big  paunches,  the  legs  were  weak-looking  and 
not  particularly  straight,  with  feet  extraordinarily  long. 
Young  women  plastered  the  hair  in  lumps  with  red 
mud  and  oil,  but  the  older  women  matted  their  hair 
in  vertical  plaits  upon  the  head,  leaving  spaces  of  ex- 
posed scalp,  which  gave  a  mangy  appearance  to  those 
adopting  this  fashion.  Some  of  them  wore  bracelets 
of  blue  beads.  Most  had  three  horizontal  and  three 
vertical  cuts  on  each  cheek,  which  made  them  quite 
repulsive  with  their  huge  lips  and  squashed  noses.  They 
nearly  all  had  a  peculiar  squint,  which  certainly  did  not 
add  to  their  beauty. 

From  the  habit  of  constantly  kneeling  down  to  grind 
grain  under  the  morraca,  as  well  as  from  squatting  upon 
the  long  logs  of  wood  which  are  placed  across  the  broad 
wells  when  drawing  water,  the  skin  of  their  knees  was 
rough  and  wrinkled  with  a  thick,  callous  growth.     The 


346  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

legs  were  under-developed,  especially  from  the  knee  to 
the  ankle,  but  the  ankle  itself  was  small  and  rather 
well  formed. 

Their  wardrobe  consisted  of  a  small — very  small — 
bunch  of  verdure,  sometimes  behind,  sometimes  in 
front.  The  Golo  ladies  seemed  to  have  adopted  all  the 
fashions  which  can  make  a  woman  repulsive  to  Euro- 
pean eyes.  I  saw  at  Abu  Shakka  an  old  lady  who  had 
stuck  in  her  right  nostril  a  white  cylindrical  bead,  which 
looked  like  half  a  cigarette  stalk  ;  while  another  lady 
had  a  bead  of  a  similar  size,  only  red  instead  of  white, 
also  inserted  in  her  nose. 

Large  silver  and  iron  earrings  were  worn,  and  were 
so  heavy  that  the  ears  became  elongated.  The  lobes  of 
the  ears  of  this  tribe  were,  when  in  their  normal  con- 
dition, attached  and  the  ear  itself  flat  and  malformed, 
even  when  not  affected  by  ornaments  hanging  from  it. 
For  some  reason  or  other,  the  ears  of  these  people 
seemed  absolutely  desiccated,  and  with  no  life  in  them  ; 
they  possessed  no  well-defined  ridges  or  curves,  the  outer 
rim  being  rounded  over  instead  of  curling  forward,  as 
is  usual  with  better-formed  ears.  In  fact,  I  noticed  how 
that  malformation  was  greatly  responsible  for  the  in- 
ability of  these  people  to  catch  accurate  sounds.  They 
could  not  distinguish  the  difference  between  an  "  1 " 
and  an  "  r,"  nor  between  an  "  e  "  and  an  "  i,"  nor  be- 
tween "  d,"  "  t  "  and  "  b."  Their  hearing  was  alto- 
gether dull,  and  one  required  to  talk  to  them  fairly 
loudly  and  explicitly  for  them  to  understand  at  all. 

This  is,  of  course,  more  or  less  general  with  all  blacks 
of  tropical  Africa,  and  many  people  who  have  had 
experience  with  them  will  tell  you  that  even  one's  own 
servants,  accustomed  to  European  ways,  do  not   often 


^ 


THE   EYES   AND   EARS  347 

hear  their  master  speak  unless  they  are  facing  him, 
when  they  will  pay  attention  to  what  is  said.  When 
their  back  is  turned,  it  is  difficult  to  make  them  hear, 
as  their  auditory  organs  do  not  work  quite  so  accurately 
as  ours,  or,  at  least,  do  not  bring  the  impressions  received 
quickly  to  the  brain,  unless  when  working  jointly  with 
the  sight. 

The  eyebrows  of  the  Golo  form  a  double  curl,  and 
give  them  a  frowning,  dissatisfied  expression,  even  in 
their  brightest  moments  of  happiness.  They  have  a 
considerable  development  of  the  upper  portion  of  the 
lid  between  the  rim  and  the  eyebrow,  a  development 
which  almost  amounts  to  a  swelling.  In  fact,  when  the 
eye  is  open  the  lower  section  of  the  lid  itself  is  absolutely 
covered,  and  hardly  shows  at  all. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  the  monkey  in  the 
movements  and  postures  of  these  people.  One  day 
I  saw  six  women  in  a  row,  squatting  just  like 
quadrumanes  upon  a  long  pole  thrown  across  the 
aperture  of  a  well  some  thirty  feet  deep.  They  had 
chimpanzee-like  big  paunches  and  delightful  expressions 
on  their  faces.  They  pulled  up  water  as  fast  as  they 
could  go  in  small  vessels  made  of  half  gourds  with  a 
forked  stick  attached  to  the  upper  portion  as  a  handle. 
With  these  they  filled  large  earthen  jars  by  the  side  of 
the  well.  These  jars  were  decorated  with  dots  in  the 
upper  portion,  with  a  row  of  large  dots  at  the  mouth, 
and  with  a  lot  of  smaller  dots  either  in  transversal  or 
vertical  lines  covering  two-thirds  of  the  vessel  from  the 
bottom  up. 

The  Golo  women  had  the  hair  plastered  down  into 
little  tresses  at  the  side  of  the  head.  Red  beads  were 
stuck  in  the  nostrils.     The  upper  portion  of  the  nose 


348  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

directly  under  the  glabella  was  absolutely  flat,  and  the 
tip  of  the  nose  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  pushed 
back,  so  much  so  that  the  apertures  of  the  nostrils  in  a 
full  face  appeared  like  two  circular  holes. 

One  or  two,  while  balanced  on  the  unsteady,  primitive 
bridge  across  the  well,  carried  their  babies  in  a  sling  from 
the  right  shoulder,  the  child  riding  astride  upon  his 
mother's  left  hip,  on  which  he  supported  himself.  The 
mammas  had  extraordinarily  flat  noses,  particularly  at 
the  bridge,  but  their  nasal  flatness  was  nothing  to  that 
of  their  darlings.  I  do  not  think  that  I  have  ever  seen 
babes  whose  lack  of  nose  was  so  glaring  as  with  these 
Golo  youngsters. 

Men  and  women  had  eyes  wide  apart,  almost  bird- 
like, and  I  believe  the  squint  which  I  have  mentioned 
above  is  partly  due  to  the  great  distance  between  the 
two  pupils,  which  is  bound  to  produce  a  defect  of  sight, 
since  in  focussing  objects  close  by  they  must  converge 
at  an  angle. 

They  seem  proud  of  the  little  tufts  of  fresh  grass 
held — I  do  not  know  how — in  front,  behind,  or  at  times 
in  both  places,  and  constantly  renewed  when  getting 
dry.  Fashions  are  cheap  in  Gololand,  where  an  in- 
exhaustible dressmaking  department  is  to  be  found  in 
the  nearest  meadow. 

Much  as  I  like  to  encourage  bathing  among  natives, 
I  must  say  I  was  rather  vexed  with  the  Golo  ladies  of 
Abu  Shakka.  After  they  had  finished  filling  their 
vessels  with  water,  they  drew  water  from  the  well  and 
proceeded  to  have  shower-baths,  one  woman  pouring 
water  on  the  head  of  another  with  a  calabash.  As  they 
did  this  on  the  edge  of  the  well,  the  water  flowed  in 
again  to  the  place  it  had  come  from.     The  verdure  was 


CICATRICES  349 

torn  off  on  these  occasions  and  renewed  after  the  bath 
was  over.  When  I  scolded  them  they,  too,  were  quite 
offended,  and  asked  me  what  I  was  complaining  of,  as 
they  were  "  not  wasting  "  the  water,  which  was  scarce 
in  the  region.  No,  indeed,  it  was  all  flowing  back  into 
the  well  ! 

Cicatrices  in  sets  of  three  vertical  lines  were  popular 
among  the  ornamentations  upon  the  chest,  sometimes 
also  on  the  back.  These  began  directly  under  the 
shoulder-blades,  and  extended  as  far  as  the  waist  ;  a 
waist-band  of  a  great  number  of  cicatrices  all  round  the 
body  was  also  to  be  noticed.  The  women  had  sets  of 
cicatrices  upon  the  breasts  right  down  to  the  nipples. 
The  breasts  were  extraordinarily  developed  and  pendent. 

Unhke  the  tribes  we  had  seen  until  now,  we  were  here 
among  people  with  long  bodies  and  short  legs.  Instead 
of  square,  the  people  had  rounded  shoulders,  with  good 
waists  arched  inward. 

I  was  surprised  to  find  how  white  the  palms  of  the 
hands  were  in  these  people.  The  nails  were  light  pink. 
The  fingers  were  badly  formed,  short  and  square-tipped, 
the  thumb  particularly,  which  in  more  civilized  people 
would  be  put  down  as  the  thumb  of  a  highly  criminal 
type.  It  was  short  and  flattened,  with  a  mere  strip  of 
nail  much  elongated  sideways.  Their  hands  seemed  to 
obey  the  brain  only  to  a  slight  extent,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  clumsier  people  than  these  Golo  when 
they  had  to  do  anything  with  their  fingers. 

There  were  two  villages  at  Abu  Shakka.  They  took 
the  name  from  their  chief,  a  flat-faced,  pock-marked 
individual.  The  village  nearer  the  well  was  the  newer  of 
the  two,  and  comparatively  tidy,  within  a  zeriha  of  wood 
and  high  grass  forming  a  wall  over  ten  feet  high.     In  the 


350  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

enclosure    stood   the  quadrangular   mud   house    of   the 

chief,  with  its   neat  thatched   roof  and  three  or  four 

more   irregular   huts  entirely    made   of    reeds   upon    a 
wooden  frame. 


351 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

We  left  at  six  the  next  morning  on  an  excellent  trail 
that  went  over  ferruginous  soil  through  fairly  dense 
forest.  Here  began  our  troubles  with  flies  of  all  kinds, 
particularly  big  horse-flies,  the  sting  of  which  was 
painful.  There  were  milhons  of  them  round  us,  and 
the  mere  buzzing  near  one's  face  was  enough  to  drive 
anybody  out  of  temper.  The  animals  suffered  a  good 
deal  and  kicked  and  dashed  about,  rubbing  them- 
selves against  trees  in  order  to  shake  them  off.  The 
result  was  that  the  loads  were  constantly  getting 
scattered  upon  the  trail,  and  the  Somali  and  I  had  to 
run  after  the  demoralized  animals.  No  sooner  had  we 
our  hands  occupied  in  lifting  the  loads  upon  the  pack- 
saddles  than  our  eyes,  ears  and  faces  were  simply  covered 
with  flies  taking  advantage  of  our  helpless  condition. 
If  you  opened  your  mouth  they  flew  into  it,  and,  indeed, 
travelling  under  those  circumstances  was  not  a  pleasure. 
There  was  a  tiny  kind  of  gnat,  also  troublesome, 
which  seemed  to  have  a  particular  attraction  to  the  eyes. 
Swarms  of  them  dashed  into  one's  face,  and  during  the 
day  I  have  had  consecutively  as  many  as  fifty  or  sixty 
of  these  little  brutes  in  my  eyes.  They  stick  at  once  to 
the  moisture,  and  spread  a  highly-scented,  acid  liquid, 
which  makes  the  eyes  and  lids  sting  acutely.    Fortunately, 


352  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

they  are  easily  removable,  but  they  cause  severe  in- 
flammation with  some  people.  They  have  a  way  also  of 
getting  inside  one's  ears,  and  when  they  get  far  enough 
into  the  channel  they  are  difficult  to  get  out  again. 

With  the  stifling  heat,  the  riotous  animals,  the  flies 
big  and  small,  sore  eyes  and  worrying  ears,  with  stings 
itching  all  over  one's  body,  the  effort  of  lifting  the  loads 
fifty  times  a  day  at  least  upon  the  packs — not  to  speak 
of  the  running  about  to  recapture  the  animals — was 
indeed  hard  work.  The  Somali  behaved  faithfully. 
Notwithstanding  all,  we  travelled  that  day  thirty  miles  to 
the  next  camp,  sometimes  over  open  stretches  near  the 
trail,  where  families  of  huge  monkeys  dashed  across, 
carrying  their  young  upon  their  backs  ;  then  further 
among  thousands  of  anthills  from  one  to  two  feet  high, 
and  shaped  like  mushrooms.  There  were  other  conical 
anthills  of  the  termix  voratrix ;  these  were  of  great  height, 
although  they  were  built  by  a  smaller  ant. 

For  the  first  few  hours  the  trail  wound  considerably, 
first  to  the  north-west,  then  to  the  west,  then  west- 
north-west  ;  but  after  passing  some  slight  undulations 
and  volcanic  rocks  and  boulders  beyond  a  brooklet's 
channel,  now  waterless,  we  arrived  at  11.30  at  Bisellia, 
where,  fortunately,  we  obtained  plenty  of  water  from 
the  Khor,  bad  as  usual,  but  plentiful  enough  to  allay  the 
thirst  of  my  animals. 

An  abandoned  village  stood  near  the  Khor  in  a  mat- 
walled  zeriba,  with  a  number  of  tumble-down  huts.  The 
former  chief's  house  was  plastered  with  black  polished 
cement.  In  each  hut,  the  Bongo,  another  tribe  who  in- 
habited this  village,  had  built  a  quadrangular  platform 
some  six  feet  long  by  three  feet  wide,  raised  six  inches 
above  the  ground,  which  they  used  as  a  bed.     A  fire  was 


THE  BONGO  353 

made  within  the  triangle  of  three  stones,  on  which  were 
placed  the  cooking  vessels.  In  some  huts  I  saw  curious 
beds  of  black  cement,  with  a  hollow  in  the  centre  where 
the  people  lay. 

There  were  near  this  place  some  extensive  earth- 
works :  a  trench,  with  a  bastion,  which  the  natives  said 
had  been  made  by  the  Turks.  It  was,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  put  up  by  Limbo's  father  on  his  return  to  Bisellia, 
after  having  fled  from  this  place  on  the  arrival  of  the 
Dervishes.  He  had  escaped  to  two  hills  north  of  Dem 
Zebir,  then  to  Kossinga,  where  Sultan  Nasr  Andel 
offered  fight.  He  then  returned  to  his  old  place  where 
he  erected  the  fortifications  visible  to  this  day. 

Over  the  marsh  close  by,  a  ruined  bridge  was  to  be 
seen. 

I  had  an  amusing  experience  here.  A  glass  of  French 
jam  I  had  just  emptied  was  lying  in  camp.  I  saw  a 
Bongo  examining  the  glass  with  attention,  turning  it 
round  and  round  in  his  fingers  and  expressing  great 
admiration.  He  then  put  the  glass  down  and  walked 
away. 

In  this  place,  being  near  the  military  post  of  Wau, 
silver  money  is  known,  as  the  natives  are  paid  in  cur- 
rency for  supplies  they  sometimes  sell  to  the  soldiers. 
Presently  the  man  returned  with  an  Egyptian  coin  worth 
one  shilling,  and  deposited  it  on  my  lap,  taking  the 
glass  and  proceeding  to  walk  off.  Whereupon  I  took 
the  shilling  and  threw  it  at  him.  The  man  seemed  much 
taken  aback,  picked  up  his  money  and  brought  back 
the  glass  to  me.  He  departed  a  second  time,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  returned  from  his  hut,  and  after  describing 
three  or  four  circles  round  me  to  discover  in  what  mood 
I  was,  he  now  squatted  in  front  of  me,  and  in  a  most 
VOL.  I.  23 


3  54  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

endearing  fashion  laid  before  me  two  shillings'  worth  of 
Egyptian  coinage.  I  told  him  that  I  was  no  merchant, 
and  did  not  care  to  sell  anything.  He  took  back  the 
money,  gave  a  leap  in  the  air,  and  ejaculated  some  sound 
or  other,  dashing  full  speed  to  his  hut.  A  little  later 
I  saw  him  cautiously  approach  my  camp,  holding  some- 
thing in  his  hand.  He  was  looking  at  the  sky,  by  which 
I  understood  he  was  up  to  some  trick — as  people  generally 
are  when  they  look  innocently  skyward.  In  fact,  after 
pretending  indifference,  I  saw  him  get  nearer  and  nearer 
the  glass,  which  he  suddenly  seized,  throwing  at  me 
what  he  had  in  his  hand,  five  shillings  altogether, 
and  bolted  away  with  my  glass,  worth  at  most  a  half- 
penny. 

I  collected  the  money  and  went  to  call  upon  this 
gentleman.  He  was  afraid  that  I  should  take  a  revenge. 
His  pleasure  had  no  bounds  when  I  gave  him  back 
the  money  and  told  him  he  could  keep  the  glass. 

In  the  afternoon,  at  3.25,  we  left  in  a  heavy  shower, 
which  only  lasted  a  short  time.  We  marched  through 
forest  until  nearly  eight  o'clock,  finding  no  water  on  the 
trail  nor  at  the  place  where  we  camped.  We,  therefore, 
made  an  early  start  the  next  morning,  gradually  and 
slowly  rising  among  semi-desiccated  trees  of  no  great 
beauty.  Further  on,  where  the  trees  had  not  been  so 
burnt  up,  one  found  some  hard  woods,  which,  were 
transport  easier,  ought  to  be  of  commercial  value.  The 
fibre  was  extremely  close  and  twisted,  and  it  almost 
seemed  as  if  these  trees  had  experienced  difficulty  in 
growing  through  the  ferruginous  soil.  There  were  mi- 
mosas, tamarind  and  fig  trees,  and  trees  with  bark  like 
cork. 

During   the   whole   march   I   only  saw   one   solitary 


SWELLINGS  OF  THE  EARTH  355 

bunch  of  flowers — small  jessamines.  We  went  fairly 
steadily  at  a  rate  of  about  three  miles  an  hour,  over 
slightly  undulating  and  gradually  and  gently  rising 
country.  Occasionally  we  came  to  more  of  the  typical 
"  swellings  of  the  earth  "  of  volcanic  rock.  Near  the 
summit  these  were  strewn  with  almost  spherical  boulders, 
seemingly  spluttered  out  when  during  the  eruptive  period 
the  molten  rock  had  come  into  contact  with  the  colder 
atmosphere. 

We  marched  steadily  from  five  o'clock  till  one  in  the 
afternoon,  the  sun  positively  baking  us.  Then,  owing 
to  an  approaching  tornado,  the  heat  became  quite  un- 
bearable. A  severe  thunderstorm  caught  us  as  we 
reached  the  Pongo  stream,  which,  at  the  place  we  met 
it,  flowed  northwards,  eventually,  according  to  the 
natives,  finding  its  way  into  the  Djur  river.  Dirty  as 
the  water  was,  it  seemed  delicious  to  men  and  animals, 
and  we  all  drank  copiously.  At  any  rate,  it  possessed 
a  little  more  the  lively  taste  of  running  water,  and  was 
more  palatable  than  the  fetid  water  we  had  been  drink- 
ing since  leaving  Meshra. 

There  were  three  tukles  here  and  a  rakuha  in  construc- 
tion, with  a  house  for  a  native  policeman  directly  outside 
the  zeriba.  The  Pongo  river  at  this  point  was  1,600 
feet  above  the  sea,  which  showed  us  that  we  had  risen 
290  feet  since  leaving  Wau,  a  distance  of  fifty-five 
miles. 

From  south  to  north,  between  lat.  7°N.  to  lat.  9°N., 
there  are  in  this  zone  a  good  many  tribes,  such  as  the 
Bare,  some  Golo,  then  north  of  them  the  Behanda,  and 
north  of  these  the  N'dogo.  We  find  a  similar  tribe  of 
Bare  slightly  north-east  of  Limbo,  where  the  Emdoco 
tribe  is  to  be  found,  and  another  tribe  of  Bongo  directly 
VOL.  I.  23* 


356  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

west  of  them.  North  we  have  more  Golo,  then  another 
tribe  of  N'dogo,  and,  further  along  the  Pongo  river, 
more  Bare. 

The  Bongo  are  people  of  fine  stature,  somewhat 
stoutly  built.  They  are  great  cultivators  of  the  land, 
probably  the  most  successful  agriculturists  in  the  entire 
Bahr-el-Ghazal  district.  A  few  of  the  men  have  adopted 
cotton  clothes,  but  the  women  go  about  absolutely 
naked,  with  the  usual  tuft  of  verdure  in  front  and 
behind.  They  wear  brass  and  iron  bracelets  ;  armlets, 
anklets  and  necklaces  made  of  beads. 

Their  faces  are  greatly  deformed  by  the  kagga  hanging 
from  the  lower  lip,  which  consists  of  a  straw  inserted 
through  the  lip  in  young  girls,  and  gradually  increased 
in  size  until  the  little  cylinder  becomes  as  big  as  a  large 
bottle  cork.  This  fashion,  as  we  shall  find,  gets  more 
and  more  exaggerated  as  we  travel  towards  the  west. 
Another  ornament  is  frequently  to  be  seen,  consisting  of 
two  straws,  or  sometimes  of  two  small  sticks,  projecting 
from  holes  in  each  nostril.  Both  the  Djur  and  the 
Bellanda  tribes  follow  this  fashion,  like  the  Bongo. 

At  Kaiongo,  north  of  the  trail,  the  Austrian  mission 
has  a  station,  where  it  is  doing  good  work  among  the 
natives,  principally  teaching  them  blacksmith's  and 
agricultural  work. 

The  country  in  that  part  is  hilly,  thickly  wooded, 
and  populous  in  parts,  especially  the  villages  of  Chiefs 
Bakili  and  Malunga,  the  first  chief  of  the  Bellanda,  the 
other  a  Golo  chief.  Unlike  the  Golo  huts,  those  of  the 
Bellanda  are  of  a  flimsy  character,  but  their  villages  are 
enclosed  in  zeribas  made  of  great  chunks  of  wood  solidly 
stuck  into  the  ground. 

The  Bellanda  are  great  hunters.     They  make  large 


BONGO   TRAPS  357 

nets,  in  which  they  drive  and  capture  gazelles.  The 
Bongo  people,  too,  are  fond  of  hunting,  but  they  prefer 
to  make  traps.  I  saw  some  of  these  Bongo  traps  quite 
close  to  the  Pongo  river.  They  consisted  of  a  passage- 
way along  the  trail,  which  was  walled  in  with  sticks  on 
both  sides  for  some  five  or  six  feet.  The  passage  was 
closed  up  by  a  small  net  across,  not  visible  at  night, 
which  when  even  slightly  touched  broke  a  frail  piece  of 
cane.  By  a  series  of  crossed  sticks  at  well-calculated 
angles  just  sufficient  resistance  was  established  to  hold 
in  position  a  heavy  beam  above  at  a  dangerous  angle. 
When  released  from  this  balanced  position,  the  beam 
fell  directly  over  the  passage,  crushing  with  its  weight 
the  unfortunate  animal  which  had  found  its  way  there. 

There  were  millions  of  mosquitoes  of  all  sizes  at 
Pongo,  but  by  this  time  we  were  getting  acclimatized. 
Although  they  bit  us  furiously,  they  hardly  produced  a 
swelling  at  all,  if  not  disturbed  during  their  process  of 
suction,  and  caused  but  moderate  irritation. 

We  left  Pongo  at  6.15  on  April  26th.  The  river  flowed 
in  a  tortuous  channel,  rocky  in  some  parts,  sandy  in 
others.  The  banks  were  as  much  as  ten  to  twelve  feet 
high,  and  the  river  bed  about  thirty  feet  across.  We 
found  a  vast  grassy  plain  to  the  west  of  the  river,  and 
fairly  open  ground  near  the  rest-houses  which  had  been 
erected,  but  which  seemed  rather  unpractical  in  their 
construction,  owing  to  the  absolute  lack  of  ventilation, 
which  made  it  impossible  for  anyone  but  a  native  to 
breathe  when  inside.  The  huts  were  thatched  with 
grass,  and  the  doors  so  low  that  they  broke  one's  back 
every  time  one  went  in  or  out. 

Further  west  we  proceeded  across  thinly-wooded 
forest  with  hardly  any  undergrowth.     We  had  gradually 


358  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

risen  to  1^800  feet.  We  saw  on  one  side  of  the  trail  a 
great  granitic  dome  emerging  some  ten  feet  above  the 
ground,  with  huge  volcanic  boulders  by  its  side.  Further 
on,  to  the  west  of  this  dome,  about  four  hundred  yards 
north  of  the  trail,  a  high  rocky  hill,  about  one  hundred 
feet  high,  was  met  with  (1,900  feet  above  sea-level),  and 
this  was  probably  the  highest  hill  I  had  seen  in  the 
Bahr-el-Ghazal,  certainly  the  highest  west  of  Meshra. 

About  an  hour  later  on  the  march  we  met  another 
big  grey  dome  of  granite,  emerging  some  fifty  feet  above 
the  ground.  Partly  owing  to  the  great  fires  which  are 
frequently  caused  by  lightning  and  otherwise,  the  forest 
was  thin  in  this  portion  of  the  country.  After  we  had 
been  gradually  descending  among  lean  young  trees  we 
came  to  another  high  hill,  north  of  Ganna  camping- 
ground,  where  I  arrived  towards  noon,  only  to  find  that 
the  well  was  absolutely  dry,  and  not  a  drop  of  water  was 
to  be  obtained.  There  was  a  deserted  zeriha  here,  with 
three  huts  and  a  large  shed  for  animals. 

We  were  here  at  a  slightly  lower  elevation,  1,750  feet. 
Having  given  my  animals  a  short  rest,  I  had  to  move 
on,  endeavouring  to  find  water  at  the  next  camp.  The 
continuation  of  the  Ganna  hill  formed  a  low  hill-range 
of  granitic  rock,  the  general  direction  of  which  was  from 
north-east  to  south-west.  Here  the  trail  went  south-west. 
Towards  sunset  we  had  on  our  left  another  huge  granitic 
dome,  some  forty  feet  high,  and,  having  crossed  the  vein 
of  granite,  we  proceeded  through  fairly  dense  forest, 
until  we  arrived  at  Hardeb  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
The  sheds  at  this  station  had  been  burnt  down,  but  we 
found  a  small  pool,  some  fifty  yards  long  by  five  wide, 
with  pestilential  water,  which,  bad  as  it  was,  we  were 
only  too  glad  to  have,  as  we  had  marched  some  twenty- 


DOG-FACED    MONKEYS  359 

six  miles  that  day  in  intense  heat  across  waterless 
country. 

On  the  road  we  had  met  a  suspicious  crowd  of  ten 
or  twelve  men,  armed  to  the  teeth  with  matchlocks, 
spears  and  daggers.  They  seemed  upset  at  meeting  me. 
On  being  cross-examined,  they  professed  to  be  looking 
for  elephants. 

This  camp,  called  Hardeb  by  the  natives,  because  of 
the  mimosa  hardeb,  which  is  plentiful  here  and  gives 
an  edible  fruit,  generally  goes  by  the  name  of  Khor 
Idris  or  Gamus  upon  maps.  Lulu  trees  were  plentiful, 
with  their  thick,  rugged  bark  cut  up  into  so  many  neat 
little  squares,  and  with  bunches  of  large  oblong  leaves, 
thickly  ribbed  and  fluted,  in  clusters  generally  of  ten 
or  twelve  together.  The  hardeb  had  tiny  little  dark 
green  leaves  in  double  sets  along  a  common  stem. 
It  was  a  most  compact  little  tree,  its  branches  shooting 
skyward  and  forming  quite  a  thick  mass. 

We  saw  large  dog-faced  monkeys  in  abundance, 
which  not  only  had  a  head  like  a  dog,  but  also  quite  a 
canine  bark. 

White  and  white  and  yellow  marble,  not  unlike 
Sienna  marble,  was  to  be  found  in  this  locality. 

Again,  we  had  to  make  a  double  march,  this  time 
first  descending  over  undulating  country,  the  slopes  of 
which  were  drained  by  the  Khor  Idris;  then,  ascending 
gently  in  a  dense  forest  of  lulu  trees,  various  acacias 
and  mimosas  and  some  occasional  giant  hardeb.  An 
hour  after  leaving  camp  we  saw  to  the  south  of  the  trail 
another  heap  of  black  volcanic  rock.  This  was  a  great 
place  for  giant  anthills ;  some  built  in  domes,  which  I 
measured,  were  as  much  as  eleven  feet  high.  Near 
the  foot  of  hardeb  trees  great  conical  accumulations  of 


36o  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

earth  were  frequently  to  be  seen  not  less  than  ten  feet 
high,  formed  mostly  by  white  ants. 

Among  a  lot  of  ahil  trees,  with  their  tiny  pointed 
leaves,  we  gradually  descended  to  the  Khor  Gamus, 
a  valley  evidently  swampy  during  the  rains,  lying 
between  two  hill-ranges  with  a  ditch  intersecting  it  from 
east  to  west.  This  ditch  was  now  dry  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  small  pools  not  larger  than  four  inches  in 
diameter  and  three  inches  deep,  where  a  small  quantity 
of  water  had  accumulated.  As  there  was  not  sufficient 
to  allay  the  thirst  of  my  animals,  I  proceeded  to  Khor 
Rami,  rising  over  a  hill-range  of  volcanic  rock,  and  find- 
ing a  good  deal  of  eruptive,  ferruginous  rock  all  along 
the  way.  In  fact,  after  some  ups  and  downs,  we  had 
to  go  over  a  lot  of  broken  rock  close  to  Khor  Rami, 
which  gave  my  animals  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  as  there 
was  a  violent  thunderstorm  raging  at  the  time  and  we 
had  been  overtaken  by  night. 

We  were  drenched  to  the  skin.  Terrific  lightning 
struck  quite  close  to  us,  blinding  us  temporarily,  and 
we  lost  our  way.  The  night  was  so  dark  that  it  was 
difficult  to  get  along. 

The  poor  Somali  and  I  had  a  great  deal  to  do  to  keep 
the  entire  caravan  together.  The  donkeys  were  abso- 
lutely paralyzed  with  fear  by  the  deafening  noise  of 
thunder  and  the  sudden  flashes  of  lightning,  which  were 
useful  in  a  way,  for  while  the  scene  was  brilliantly  illu- 
minated I  could  perceive  where  we  were  going. 

Late  at  night  we  arrived  at  Rami,  the  storm  still 
raging.  We  took  shelter  under  the  shed.  The  tornado 
got  more  and  more  violent,  and  presently  I  witnessed  a 
sight,  very  beautiful  in  itself,  but  which  made  me  some- 
what nervous,  as  I   had  never  before  experienced  the 


A    FERRUGINOUS   MASS  361 

effects  of  the  atmosphere  being  charged  to  such  an 
extent  with  electricity.  The  entire  sky  became  gloriously 
and  incessantly  lighted  with  a  most  vivid  pink,  almost 
violet,  light,  which  was  most  penetrating,  and  produced 
on  one's  skin  a  similar  sensation  to  the  X-rays.  The 
thunder  became  continuous  overhead,  and  was  quite 
deafening,  like  myriads  of  huge  cannon  being  fired  simul- 
taneously. Incessant  flashes  of  lightning  streaked  the 
sky  in  brilliant  yellow,  zigzag  lines  across  the  pink  back- 
ground, some  coming  so  unpleasantly  near  that  I  was 
indeed  glad  when,  after  a  couple  of  hours  or  so,  I  heard 
the  thunder  gradually  get  further  and  further  away,  and 
eventually  we  found  ourselves  under  a  brilliantly  star- 
lit sky. 

We  had  these  storms  nearly  every  day,  but  I  never 
fancied  them.  Many  people  are  killed  by  lightning  in 
these  regions,  and  in  more  frequented  parts  many 
Europeans  have  lost  their  lives  in  this  manner,  as  white 
men  generally  carry  firearms  or  metal  objects  about  them 
which  attract  lightning. 

The  reason  the  storm  seemed  particularly  bad  at 
this  place  I  discovered  the  next  morning  when,  to  the 
north-west  of  the  camp,  some  fifty  yards  off,  beyond  a 
small  khor,  appeared  a  rocky,  volcanic,  ferruginous  mass, 
which  undoubtedly  attracted  and  became  charged  with 
electricity.  This  mass  extended  northwards,  where  it 
rose  some  fifty  feet  above  the  khor  at  its  foot. 

We  collected  a  quantity  of  excellent  rain-water  in  all 
the  vessels  and  buckets  we  possessed.  I  do  not  know 
that  I  have  ever  enjoyed  anything  so  much  as  the  good 
drink  of  clean  water  after  the  filthy  stuff  we  had  been 
tasting  since  leaving  Meshra.  My  donkeys,  too,  had  a 
great  time  drinking  in  the  small  pools  which  had  been 


362  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

formed  in  large  holes  in  the  rock,  these  innumerable  and 
curious  large  holes  being  caused,  I  am  told,  by  lightning. 

Camp  Rami  was  at  an  elevation  of  i,8oo  feet.  Owing 
to  the  soaking  we  got  the  night  before,  and  the  loads 
being  now  nearly  double  their  usual  weight  because  of 
the  moisture  they  had  absorbed,  not  to  speak  of  the 
fatigue  which  my  animals  had  endured  of  late,  I  made  a 
late  departure  in  order  to  allow  the  donkeys  to  pick  up 
some  strength. 

In  a  stroll  round  the  camp  I  noticed  a  great  many 
ahugani  plants,  another  kind  of  mimosa,  with  minute 
leaves.  Then  there  were  lots  of  ofa,  a  large  fat-leaved, 
dark  green  fig-tree  with  whitish  bark  ;  also  jokhan,  a 
large  tree,  with  leaves  not  unlike  those  of  cherry  trees. 
Interesting  was  the  gorot,  a  short  tree,  with  waxy-feeling 
elongated  leaves.  The  thur  was  a  spiked  tree,  with  tiny 
leaves,  and  the  ameruh  a  graceful,  white-stemmed  tree, 
with  most  elastic  branches.  Perhaps  the  most  plentiful 
was  the  basson,  a  plant  growing  to  no  greater  height  than 
ten  or  twelve  feet,  and  possessing  pinnate  leaves  two  and 
a  half  inches  long,  with  saw-like  edges,  these  leaves 
growing  in  sets  of  two,  like  those  of  mimosas  or  acacias. 
The  small  white  fruit  of  this  plant  was  good  to  eat. 

More  granite  domes  were  passed  on  the  march,  when 
we  left  at  about  9.30  a.m.  on  April  28th,  and  towards 
10.45  I  mounted  another  high  dome  on  the  right  of  our 
trail,  from  which  an  extensive  view  was  obtained  over 
the  practically  flat  country  around.  Only  one  high  hill 
was  visible  at  15°  bearings  magnetic  (or  slightly  north- 
north-east),  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles  distant.  The  ground 
seemed  to  be  sloping  from  that  hill  towards  the  south- 
west. The  top  of  the  dome  on  which  I  stood  was  1,975 
feet,  or  twenty-five  feet  higher  than  the  trail.     It  was  of 


DEM    IDRIS  363 

granitic  formation^  extending  with  a  lower  dome  to  the 
north-north-west.  Many  smaller  domes  and  broken-up 
granitic  blocks  were  to  be  seen  towards  the  south,  and 
extending  south-west  of  the  trail. 

At  1 1. 15  I  arrived  at  Dem  Idris,  where  four  neat 
tukles  and  one  open  rakuha  had  been  built  within  a 
zeriba.  A  few  mud  and  thatched  huts,  about  a  hundred 
yards  off,  formed  the  quarters  of  the  police.  These 
tukles  were  kept  beautifully  clean  by  the  policeman 
in  charge.  One  large  well  had  been  dug,  the  water 
now  no  more  of  a  white  milky  appearance,  owing  to 
being  saturated  with  lime,  but  being  instead  of  a  thick 
red  colour,  with  a  strong,  ferruginous  taste.  The  well 
was  forty  feet  deep.  Other  wells  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
distant,  only  twenty  feet  in  depth,  had  bad  white- 
looking  water  again,  such  as  was  familiar  to  us. 

At  Dem  Idris  could  be  seen  a  two-storeyed  mud 
building,  with  square  windows  in  ruins,  a  relic  of  Zebir 
Pasha's  historic  days.  Further  down  upon  the  trail 
the  remains  of  a  large  mud-walled  zeriba,  said  to  have 
been  made  by  the  Turks,  were  also  to  be  noticed. 

Murjam  Bahit,  the  policeman  in  charge  of  this 
station,  was  an  excellent  man  and  most  helpful.  In  the 
zeriba  was  a  line  unzai  tree,  under  the  shade  of  which 
I  spent  some  pleasant  hours. 

I  made  a  start  late  in  the  afternoon,  at  about  four 
o'clock,  and  shortly  after  having  descended  where  the 
old  zeriba,  now  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  well  used  to 
be,  we  rose  to  a  slightly  higher  table-land  (2,150  feet), 
which  we  had  observed  encircling  Dem  Idris  to  the 
west  and  south-west. 

f^il  had  at  last  found  some  use  for  one  of  the  natives 
who  had  been  given  me  by  the  Governor  at  Wau,  and 


364  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

who  so  far  had  followed  us  at  a  distance.  I  made  him 
the  botanist  of  the  expedition.  It  is  quite  amazing 
what  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  botany  all  these  natives 
have,  and  how  wonderfully  rich  their  language  is  in 
botanical  terms,  whereas  upon  any  other  subject,  their 
fauna  excepted,  we  find  a  corresponding  poverty  of 
expression.  This  man,  who  was  an  incredible  idiot 
about  anything  else,  was  truly  wonderful  in  his  know- 
ledge of  plants.  Sometimes  his  knowledge  seemed  so 
astonishing  that  I  thought  he  was  inventing  the  various 
names  of  trees.  Time  after  time  I  checked  him  in 
various  localities,  but  I  found  that,  at  least,  as  far  as 
botany  was  concerned,  he  was  truthful  and  learned. 

We  saw  some  high  rumm  trees  and  any  number  of 
caruba,  with  their  large  double  leaves  like  the  wings  of 
a  butterfly.  Having  descended  into  another  khor  (2,050 
feet),  we  found  a  large  pool  of  rain-water  which  had 
collected  during  the  last  storm,  and  which  was  sepa- 
rated by  a  mere  undulation  from  another  large  pool  of 
stagnant  water  in  the  marshy  plain. 

At  night,  as  we  were  marching,  a  hurricane  blew 
again  with  tremendous  force.  Black  clouds  collected 
overhead  and  all  round  us,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to 
distinguish  the  wet  trail  in  the  forest,  and  I  was  com- 
pelled to  halt.  Although  the  thunderstorm  was  fierce 
enough,  we  had  no  rain  during  the  night ;  but  in  the 
morning,  as  we  were  leaving,  heavy  showers  came  upon 
us  and  made  travelling  inconvenient. 

The  ground  was  undulating,  but  with  no  great  dips. 
We  saw  beautiful  orchids  of  an  electric  violet  colour 
(produced,  I  think,  by  the  iron  in  the  soil),  and  with  a 
yellow  centre.  We  were  now  gradually  descending  from 
an  elevation  of  1,950  feet,  at  which  we  had  been  travel- 


WART-HOGS  365 

ling  almost  all  along^  with  a  granitic  formation  showing 
through  in  the  more  rocky  places  and  volcanic,  ferru- 
ginous rock  visible  here  and  there.  We  were  as  low  as 
1,800  feet  at  Khor  Afifi,  fifteen  miles  from  Dem  Idris. 

The  well  at  this  place  was  thirty  feet  deep.  There 
was  a  small  village  in  a  strongly-built  zeriha  for  protec- 
tion against  lions,  which  were  plentiful  in  this  region. 
The  country  was  more  open  and  grassy.  Further  on  our 
march,  we  still  continued  a  gradual  descent  over  fairly 
thickly-wooded  country,  with  another  huge  dome  of 
granitic  formation  over  which  our  trail  ascended. 

I  saw  some  huge  wart-hogs,  the  phacochcerus ,  most 
plentiful  in  this  region  and  generally  seen  in  couples. 
The  curiosity  of  these  animals  was  quite  entertaining  ; 
when  they  saw  a  stranger  they  raised  their  elongated 
noses  in  a  most  characteristic  way,  partly  to  sniff  the 
newcomer,  partly  to  observe  the  better  what  his  inten- 
tions were.  They  were  stupid,  and  sometimes  after  you 
shot  at  them  and  missed  them  they  would  stand  and 
look  at  you,  and  you  could  shoot  two  or  three  times 
before  they  ran  away,  if  they  were  not  killed. 

I  arrived  at  the  river  Kuru,  ten  miles  further,  in  the 
afternoon,  and  such  was  the  surprise  which  awaited  me 
that  I  decided  to  halt  for  the  day.  The  policeman  in 
charge  of  the  zeriha  had  actually  been  able  to  grow  a 
huge  and  delicately  flavoured  water-melon,  which  was, 
indeed,  a  great  treat  in  those  thirsty  regions.  Luck 
never  comes  singly,  and  I  was  able  to  procure  also  fresh 
eggs  and  a  chicken  or  two,  which  made  quite  a  varia- 
tion from  the  tinned  provisions  on  which  I  had  lived 
for  some  months,  and  of  which  I  was  beginning  to  be 
tired. 

The    Kuru    stream,    which  ran   in   a  north-easterly 


366  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

direction,  was  a  nice  little  rivulet,  with  large,  deep  pools 

full  of  fish,  so  I  had  plenty  of  choice  for  dinner  that 
night.  There  is  no  doubt  that  when  one's  digestive 
organs  are  properly  looked  after  a  great  step  is  made  in 
the  direction  of  happiness. 

The  zeriha  at  Kuru  was  at  an  elevation  of  1,650  feet, 
the  river  about  twenty  feet  lower.  A  rope  was  placed 
across  the  stream,  about  fifteen  yards  wide  at  the  fording- 
place,  with  water  only  one  to  twelve  inches  deep.  A 
kiln  had  been  erected  for  baking  bricks,  probably  with  the 
intention  of  constructing  a  bridge. 

Dem  Zebir  was  due  west  of  this  place,  but  the  trail 
made  a  long  detour  to  the  south-west. 

During  the  night  we  had  lions  roaring  round  our 
camp.  In  fact,  we  had  had  them  nearly  every  night, 
but  beyond  making  much  noise,  the  king  of  all  animals 
seldom  came  near  enough  to  be  a  nuisance.  If  they  did 
come,  it  was  sufficient  to  throw  a  piece  of  lighted  wood 
at  them,  when  they  retreated  in  graceful  bounds.  Surely, 
not  what  people  at  home  imagine  the  behaviour  of  the 
"  king  of  all  beasts  "  to  be  towards  peaceful  travellers  ! 
One  must,  nevertheless,  keep  a  sharp  look-out  on  one's 
animals. 


36; 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

We  left  Kuru  at  6.30  on  April  30th.  There  was  a 
high  rocky  hill  to  the  west  of  the  zeriba,  but  no  view 
could  be  obtained  from  the  top,  as  high  trees  stood  hi 
the  way. 

Between  Kuru  and  Khor  Silik  we  rose  to  an  elevation 
of  1,800  feet.  Silik  itself  was  some  fifty  feet  higher 
(1,850  feet).  Further  on  we  continued  to  rise  to  1,950 
feet,  the  country  being  in  parts  covered  with  ferruginous 
boulders. 

We  had  felt  the  cold  intensely  during  the  moist  night. 
The  surviving  little  ostrich  was  taken  ill  and  became 
unconscious.  In  order  to  save  him  I  carried  him  in  my 
arms  for  some  miles,  but  towards  noon  the  poor  little 
thing  expired. 

I  was  fond  of  this  little  affectionate  companion,  and 
I  proceeded  to  give  him  a  suitable  grave  among 
picturesque  volcanic  boulders.  For  this  purpose  I 
walked  away  from  the  trail  among  fairly  high  grass 
looking  for  a  convenient  spot,  when  I  almost  trod  on  a 
crouching  lion.  I  do  not  know  which  of  us  two  was  more 
surprised,  the  lion  or  myself.  I  gave  a  leap  one  way, 
the  lion  a  much  bigger  leap  in  the  opposite  direction, 
and  continuing  to  leap  most  gracefully,  disappeared. 
The  notions  of  civiHzed  people  regarding  wild  animals 


368  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

are  curious,  even  ridiculously  false.  They  imagine 
that  wild  beasts  attack  without  provocation  whenever 
they  see  you.  There  is  no  more  mistaken  idea  than  this. 
No  wild  animal,  if  the  tiger  under  certain  special  con- 
ditions be  excepted,  will  attack  a  man  or  woman  who 
leaves  him  alone.  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  wild  animals 
of  all  kinds  at  different  times,  and  my  experience  is 
that  they  generally  make  away  when  they  see  you,  or 
at  any  rate  let  you  go  by  undisturbed,  unless  you  fire 
at  them  and  wound  them,  when,  of  course,  in  their  pain 
and  anger  they  may  retaliate.  They  may,  of  course, 
attack  one's  animals,  especially  at  night. 

We  arrived  at  Khor  Ghanam  at  12.30  in  the  after- 
noon. There  was  here  a  variety  of  trees.  The  dorot^ 
a  large-leafed  fig-tree,  much  like  the  lulu  ;  the  sahabai, 
a  resinous  tree,  tall,  with  small  light  green  leaves  and 
bark  of  a  burnt  sienna  colour.  Then  the  abagheud, 
with  bark  in  scales  easily  chipped  off  and  tiny  pointed 
leaves.  The  viugo,  a  tree  producing  large  bunches  of 
seeds  ;  the  sohk,  a  long-spiked  mimosa  with  tiny  little 
leaves  about  one  centimetre  long,  whereas  the  spikes 
were  three  times  the  length  of  the  leaves ;  the  aguma,  a 
tree  producing  sets  of  three  hard,  spherical  fruits,  not 
good  to  eat ;  the  abukadjer,  with  a  whitish-green  bark 
and  extremely  elastic  branches,  with  small  metallic 
green  leaves,  quite  rough  to  touch.  The  wood  of  this 
tree  is  extremely  hard,  mahogany-like. 

The  charmingly-shaped  elongated  little  leaves  of  the 
hemeru  are  much  eaten  by  the  natives,  as  they  pos- 
sess a  pungent  taste  which  allays  thirst.  Then  we  have 
a  hard  and  resinous  wood  in  the  zawa  (melastomacecB), 
the  fire-tree,  with  fluted  leaves  rounded  at  the  end  instead 
of  pointed.      The  clean-barked  jcmsui  and  the  kilimbah 


POISONOUS   FRUIT  369 

also  produce  a  hard  wood  ;  the  andugulugulu  is  a  fine 
tree  growing  mostly  along  streams.  On  the  banks  of 
the  Khor  were  great  quantities  of  the  vera,  a  tall  shrub 
with  small  oval  leaves  and  an  intricate  confusion  of 
branches.  Handsome  trees  were  the  afoma  and  the 
hengheh,  the  latter  being  quite  smothered  in  dark  green 
small  leaves  of  the  acacia  type  and  producing  a  poisonous 
brown  bean  about  two  inches  long.  The  wood  of  the 
hengheh  was  hard  and  resinous.  The  andarap,  with  long 
yellowish  leaves  resembling  those  of  the  lemon  tree,  was 
mostly  remarkable  for  the  contortion  of  its  branches. 
The  amsitoro  was  a  clean-looking  tree,  with  few  branches 
shooting  straight  skyward.  Its  bark  was  whitish  and  the 
leaves,  two  to  three  inches  long  and  of  a  long  oval  shape, 
grew  tightly  together.  This  tree  produced  big  fruit  in 
bunches,  frequently  three  together,  with  a  solitary  fourth 
hanging  below  them.  The  amsitoro  fruit,  taken  singly, 
was  shaped  like  a  cucumber,  four  to  six  inches  long  and 
of  a  yellowish-brown  colour. 

The  ndafu  rubber  vine,  of  great  size  and  strength, 
grew  in  quantities  along  the  Khor,  climbing  to  the  top 
of  trees  in  intricate  masses.  It  ejected  a  white  latex 
when  incisions  were  made.  In  fact,  one  could  see  where 
many  of  these  vines  had  been  tapped  by  the  natives  ; 
especially  at  the  elbows  or  angles  of  the  vine,  where  the 
natives  say  the  latex  collects  and  can  be  made  to  flow 
in  abundance. 

Although  one  saw  tempting  fruit  of  all  kinds  in  the 
forest,  it  was  dangerous  to  try  experiments.  Most 
was  poisonous,  and  what  was  eatable  had  neither  a 
deUcate  flavour  nor  particular  sweetness.  In  fact,  most 
samples  possessed  an  acid  taste  which  set  one's  teeth 
on  edge.  The  best  was  the  long  yaguma  bean,  enclosing 
VOL.  I.  24 


370  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

yellow  pulp  like  cassia.  The  hameru,  a  small  yellow 
medlar,  much  resembles  the  mespilus  japonica. 

In  this  region  we  and  our  animals  were  much 
tormented  by  flies.  Swarms  of  them  buzzed  round  us 
as  we  were  marching  along.  A  big  fly,  believed  by 
many  to  be  the  tze-tze,  was  plentiful  here  and  gave 
men  and  animals  vexatious  stings.  We  had  met  this  fly 
before  during  the  last  two  or  three  days  of  our  journey, 
but  never  in  such  legions  as  we  did  that  day.  I  was 
badly  stung  in  the  back  of  the  head,  and  it  left  a  lump 
as  big  as  half  an  ^gg  for  several  days. 

That  day  I  saw  on  the  trail  two  lions.  They  were 
not  more  than  four  or  five  yards  away.  They  had  a 
good  look  at  me,  and  then  pleasantly  and  majestically 
walked  away,  well  surmising  that  I  had  no  evil  intentions 
towards  them.  The  lions  of  this  region,  like  most 
Central  African  lions,  are  not  beautiful  to  look  at,  as 
they  are  maneless  and  have  somewhat  mangy  skins 
with  short  hair.  They  have,  however,  honest  expres- 
sions and  dignified  eyes,  and  a  most  powerful  and  beau- 
tiful stride. 

At  Khor  Ghanam  were  two  villages  for  the  police, 
and  a  large  zeriba  in  a  filthy  condition,  with  four  huts 
and  a  rakuha.  The  Khor  was  almost  dry  and  we  only 
obtained  a  little  water  from  two  small  pools.  During 
the  rainy  season  the  drainage  of  the  surrounding  country 
fills  the  Khor.  There  was  a  roughly-made  ferry  boat,  so 
long  that  when  across  it  nearly  touched  both  banks  of 
the  stream,  twelve  feet  apart.  The  policeman  at  this 
place  was  a  Niam-Niam,  a  first-class  robber.  In  fact, 
barring  one  or  two,  nearly  all  these  police  upon  the  trail 
were  impertinent  scoundrels,  the  cream  of  the  riff-raff 
of  the^Sudanese  army. 


DEM   ZEBIR 


371 


The  channel  of  the  Ghanam  Khor  had  a  direction 
from  south-south-east  to  north-north-west  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  1, 800  feet,  with  banks  twelve  feet  high. 

On  April  31st  we  left  Ghanam  at  7.30  and  we  gently 
rose  to  1,950  feet,  from  which  elevation  we  descended 
through  forest — not  dense — and  eventually  arrived  at 
Dem  Zebir  at  10.15.  As  we  approached  the  place  a 
beautiful  wide  road  had  been  cut  near  the  military 
post,  the  officer's  house  being  on  the  highest  of  the 
two  hills  upon  which  the  post  is  situated. 

To  the  north  was  a  high  straight  horizon-line,  some- 
what higher  in  its  eastern  portion  than  to  the  west.  The 
two  hills  on  which  Dem  Zebir  stood,  although  not 
high,  formed  quite  prominent  points  in  the  landscape, 
one  at  7°  bearings  magnetic,  the  other  at  4°  30',  when 
we  obtained  the  first  view  of  them. 

The  Somali  and  I,  convoying  the  entire  caravan, 
reached  Dem  Zebir,  147.^  miles  from  Wau,  in  shortly 
under  eight  days'  marching,  having  kept  up  an  average 
speed  of  eighteen  and  a  half  miles  a  day. 


Abu  Shakka 

12  miles 

Bisellia 

•         13^    „ 

Khor  Gombolo     . 

10      „ 

River  Pongo 

20      „ 

Khor  Ganna 

13I    „ 

Khor  Gamus 

10      „ 

Khor  Rami 

9     „ 

Dem  Idris 

8     „ 

KhorAfifi.. 

15     „ 

River  Kuru 

10      „ 

Khor  Abanga 

91   ,, 

Khor  Ghanam     . 

9     „ 

Dem  Zebir 

8     „ 

VOL.   I. 

147I  miles 

24* 

372  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

Dem  Zebir,  upon  a  commanding  position  (1,990  feet), 
was  decidedly  the  pleasantest-looking  place  in  the  Bahr- 
el-Ghazal.  Near  the  summit  of  the  highest  hill  was  a 
fort  of  earth  with  an  outer  palisade  at  an  angle,  and  two 
large  thatched  buildings  in  the  interior,  as  well  as  a 
central  tower  upon  which  the  Union  Jack  and  the 
Egyptian  colours  flew  gaily.  This  fort  was  first  estab- 
lished by  a  French  officer,  who  built  it  of  stone.  Then 
Bimbashi  Rawson,  of  the  Egyptian  Government,  re- 
constructed it  of  earth.  The  mamur  continued  this  work 
and  Bimbashi  Comyn  finished  it. 

Everything  in  Dem  Zebir  was  extremely  neat,  owing 
to  the  energy  of  a  most  excellent  and  practical  officer, 
Bimbashi  Percival,  who  resided  here,  with  a  staff  of 
intelligent  Egyptians  under  him,  such  as  the  mamur, 
Ali  Effendi  Wahbi,  and  a  Syrian  doctor,  who  were 
stationed  in  the  place. 

One  or  two  buildings,  of  locally-made  bricks,  were 
in  course  of  construction,  and  an  endeavour  was  made 
to  mark  out  the  streets  of  a  town  which  will  perhaps 
some  day  grow  on  that  site,  the  most  westerly  Anglo- 
Egyptian  post  in  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal. 

One  or  two  Syrian  traders,  mostly  dealing  in  ivory 
and  rubber,  and  a  Turk,  had  found  their  way  to  Dem 
Zebir.  I  saw  magnificent  elephants'  tusks  at  this 
place,  some  weighing  134  lbs.  each.  Others  had  been 
obtained  weighing  as  much  as  194  lbs.  The  quality  of 
the  ivory  in  this  part  of  the  country  was  excellent. 

The  section  of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  between  Wau  and 
the  French  Congo  boundary  was  to  my  mind  the  only 
portion  over  which  I  had  travelled  in  that  province  which 
was  worth  developing  and  which  had  any  wealth  in  it 
at  all.     In  the  northern  part,  near  Hofrat-el-Nahas,   I 


TRAILS  373 

am  told  that  about  one  mile  south  of  the  river 
Umbelacha  copper  mines  are  to  be  found,  in  shallow 
pits  covering  about  half  a  square  mile.  The  ways  of 
communication  at  the  time  of  my  visit  to  the  Western 
Bahr-el-Ghazal  were  deficient,  the  best  trail,  besides  the 
road  between  Wau  and  Dem  Zebir,  being  between 
Dem  Zebir  and  Kossinga,  a  distance  of  eighty-four  miles 
through  thick  forest  and  over  gigantic  boulders  in  the 
bed  of  the  river  Biri. 

From  Kossinga  the  trail  continued  to  Hofrat-el- 
Nahas,  two  hundred  miles  distant,  going  through  the 
Kresh  and  Ferogheh  tribes  under  Sultan  Mousa.  This 
route  first  went  south-west  from  Kossinga  to  Ragga, 
then  fairly  directly  in  a  north-westerly  direction  to  Kafi- 
Khangi,  whence  in  great  detours,  and  getting  bad 
beyond  the  river  Adda,  it  proceeded  north  to  Hofrat-el- 
Nahas.  There  were  fair  camping  grounds  nearly  all 
along  this  route,  only  horse-flies  and  the  supposed 
tze-tze  being  plentiful  and  troublesome.  From  Ragga 
to  Dem  Zebir  the  distance  was  eighty-seven  miles. 

Deleb  palms  stud  the  country  in  many  places, 
principally  near  Kresh  villages.  There  was  a  direct 
trail  between  Kossinga  and  Wau  via  Shaat  and  the  river 
Biri  (locally  known  as  the  Chel),  where  the  Denka 
Sultan,  Chak-Chak,  had  made  his  residence  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  stream.  Several  Denka  villages  were  in  that 
region,  especially  some  tribes  under  the  powerful  Denka 
chief,  Agaka,  a  brother  of  Chak-Chak,  in  the  district 
called  Ayak.  Golo  and  Djur,  Bari  and  Endogo  villages 
were  also  to  be  met  with  on  this  trail.  The  distance 
between  Kossinga  and  Wau  by  this  direct  route  was 
210  miles. 

We  were  here  close  to  the  French  Congo  boundary 


374  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

and  we  had  a  great  mixture  of  people.  Some  had  come 
with  Zebir  (or  Zuiber)  Pasha  before  the  time  of  the 
Dervishes  in  1880.  Tribes  on  both  sides  of  the  boun- 
dary were  restless  and  occasionally  shifted  their  quarters 
from  one  side  to  the  other  of  the  frontier. 

The  most  powerful  tribes  were  perhaps  the  Kresh 
and  the  Banda,  with  the  Ajah  and  the  Four,  the  latter 
lately  over  from  French  territory. 

When  Zebir  Pasha  travelled  over  this  country  Sultan 
Yango,  of  the  Banda,  was  on  the  Bibi  river.  Probably 
frightened  by  the  arrival  of  the  terrible  slave-dealer, 
Sultan  Yango  and  his  people  went  over  to  the  French 
Congo  ;  Zebir  Pasha  also  travelled  down  to  the  Mbomu 
river  in  the  French  Congo  as  far  as  the  Great  Sultanate 
of  Bongasso. 

Sultan  Yango,  of  the  Banda  tribe,  only  returned  to 
the  British  side  from  the  French  Congo  in  1903.  Mousa- 
Kemdego,  another  sultan  near  Dem  Zebir,  was  a  Kresh, 
who  also  came  over  from  the  French  Congo  about  the 
year  1900. 

There  were  other  important  sultans,  like  Nasr  Andel, 
the  sultan  of  Kossinga,  a  man  of  Negogely,  south  of 
El  Fasher.  The  sultan  lived  at  Kossinga,  a  large  village 
of  straw  tukles  and  zeribas  with  some  three  hundred 
inhabitants,  situated  north  of  the  Khor  Juyu,  where 
the  villagers  got  their  water  at  the  foot  of  a  three-peaked 
granitic  hill.  The  sultan  was  wide  awake  and  had  good 
trading  instincts.  The  negro  portion  of  the  population 
was  formed  of  Mandalla,  but  the  majority  were  a  half 
Arab  (Baggara  and  Jaahn)  and  half  Mandalla  breed.  In 
this  village  were  a  number  of  Syrian  and  Arab  traders 
from  Omdurman,  who  exchanged  cloth,  cotton  goods,  salt, 
beads  and  wire  for  ivory.     It  was  a  fair  market  for  dhura, 


TRIBES  375 

sem-sem,  hamia,  beans  (monkey  nuts),  etc.  Nasr  Andel 
tells  of  his  descent  from  sultans  in  the  Darfur  country. 
He  himself  became  a  sultan  when  he  came  to  Kossinga, 
having  succeeded  his  uncle.  He  says  that  his  grand- 
father (who  was  the  first  to  come  from  Darfur)  took 
possession  of  the  country  around  Kossinga,  assuming 
the  title  of  sultan.  Nasr  Andel  had  under  him  fourteen 
sheikhs.  This  man  was  an  inveterate  drinker  and  levied 
heavy  duties  on  the  traders.  There  was  a  good  market 
at  Kossinga  for  donkeys,  sheep  and  oxen.  A  good 
donkey  fetched  about  £2  sterling,  a  sheep  from  two  to 
four  shillings,  and  a  bull  about  forty  shillings.  Nasr 
Andel  had  for  a  son  a  fellow  who  rejoiced  in  the  name 
of  Nogolgoleh. 

Many  tribes  were  under  the  sultan,  such  as  the 
Mangayat,  the  Foroghehi,  the  Tuguyu,  the  Kresh,  the 
Shaat  and  the  Mandalla,  the  only  occupation  of  most 
of  these  tribesmen  being  chasmg  elephants  in  order  to 
obtain  the  ivory.  A  few  possessed  matchlocks,  but  most 
went  in  a  body  with  their  spears  with  which  they  riddled 
elephants  with  wounds. 

Sultan  Nasr  Andel  warmly  welcomed  the  arrival  of  the 
British  in  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  a  couple  of  years  ago.  He 
also  sent  messages  to  the  Sirdar  of  Khartoum  before 
the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  was  opened,  assuring  the  Govern- 
ment of  his  friendship  towards  the  British. 

A  similar  message  was  sent,  I  believe,  by  the  neigh- 
bouring sultan  of  Ragga,  Mousa-Hamed,  who  had  under 
him  the  following  tribes  :  The  Forogheh,  a  portion  of 
the  Mangayat  tribe,  a  section  of  the  Kresh  population, 
the  Shayu,  the  Mandalla,  the  Dongo,  the  Bornu  and  the 
Borgu,  the  latter  being  a  tribe  from  Wadai.  His  district 
was  fairly  rich  in  rubber,  but  owing  to  the  distance  and 


376  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

difficulty  of  carriage  little  came  towards  Khartoum. 
Perhaps  most  of  the  produce  found  its  way  into  the 
French  Congo^  where  the  natives  sold  it  to  advantage  to 
honest  and  generous  French  commercial  companies 
rather  than  to  local  Syrian  and  Armenian  traders. 

Mousa-Hamed's  people  are  said  to  have  come  origi- 
nally from  Mecca^  from  which  sacred  spot  they  proceeded 
to  Yedda,  then  to  Khartoum,  which  they  subsequently 
left  to  proceed  to  Kordofan  ;  eventually  they  moved 
over  to  Darfur  and  then  at  last  came  to  settle  at  Ragga. 
There  was  a  feud  between  Nasr  Andel  and  Mousa-Hamed 
when  the  latter' s  father  was  made  a  muduru  by  the 
Government.  When  the  muduru  died  some  twelve  or 
thirteen  years  ago,  there  was  trouble  between  the  two 
sultans,  as  Nasr  Andel,  who  had  acknowledged  the 
authority  of  the  muduru,  refused  to  acknowledge  that  of 
his  son  who  had  succeeded  him  and  who  was  then  about 
eighteen  years  of  age.  Things  went  so  far  that  he 
gathered  his  men  and  declared  himself  sultan,  challeng- 
ing Mousa-Hamed,  who  had  not  the  courage  to  take  up 
arms  against  him. 

That  secluded  person,  the  sultan  of  Wadai,  is  a  Borgu 
by  birth,  while  our  friend  Sultan  Mousa-Hamed  is 
a  Forogheh. 

On  the  Bahr,  or  Boro  river,  is  found  Sultan  Said- 
Bandas,  of  the  Kresh-Nakka,  a  tribe  quite  apart  from 
the  Kresh  proper  and  somewhat  intermixed  with  the 
A-sandeh  or  Niam-Niam.  He,  with  his  people,  came 
to  settle  in  this  region  at  the  end  of  1902.  These  Kresh- 
Nakka  were  mostly  brought  over  owing  to  the  efforts 
of  mamur  Ali  Effendi  Wahbi,  as  they  said  the  Banda 
tribe  frequently  raided  their  country,  stealing  their 
women,  dhura,  etc.     When  they  came  over  they  pre- 


SULTANS  377 

sented  the  mamur  with  white  beads  as  an  emblem  of 
the  purity  of  their  hearts.  In  time  of  peace  they  wore 
sometimes  white  cloth  ornaments  or  white  beads,  but 
in  time  of  war  red  beads  were  always  displayed.  Said- 
Bandas  was  extremely  loyal.  He  at  one  time  suffered 
severe  reverses  in  fighting  against  the  Dervishes  and 
had  to  escape  to  the  Banda  country.  His  village, 
humble  and  tumble-down,  was  about  three  or  four  miles 
from  Sultan  Mahommed-Merikki's  headquarters. 

Sultan  Mahommed-Merikki,  of  the  Kresh-Aja,  and 
also  of  the  Banda-Uassa,  came  over  from  the  French 
Congo  in  1902.  Mahommed-Merikki's  father  came  from 
the  banks  of  the  Umbili  river.  When  his  father  died, 
having  learnt  that  Zebir  Pasha  had  formed  a  post  at 
Mudirieh,  now  called  Dem  Zebir,  he  came  there.  Under 
Zebir,  he  became  a  chieftain  and  followed  him  as  far 
as  Shakka.  Then  Zebir  sent  him  to  a  place  called 
Lawa  where  the  Sinussi  fought  him.  When  Zebir  dis- 
charged him  he  presented  him  with  a  hundred  guns, 
which  he  afterwards  gave  to  Suliman.  His  people 
came  mostly  from  Lawa,  a  river  about  ten  days'  journey 
beyond  Aja.  When  Zebir  was  ordered  back  to  Egypt, 
Merikki  became  a  sultan  in  his  country. 

At  Kafi-Kanghi,  a  post  north-west  of  Dem  Zebir 
and  probably  the  most  westerly  point  of  the  Bahr-el- 
Ghazal  province,  where  a  native  officer  and  twenty-five 
police  were  at  one  time  stationed,  was  Sultan  Ibrahim- 
Morad,  a  Kresh  by  birth.  He  has  under  him  three 
sheikhs.  His  father  was  originally  from  Darfur  and 
came  to  settle  at  Hofrat-el-Nahas.  Ibrahim-Morad 
was  by  nature  more  or  less  of  a  robber,  and  managed 
to  squeeze  what  he  could  out  of  the  people  passing 
through  his  country.      He   professed   to   be   unable   to 


378  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

prevent  the  trade  in  rifles  and  ivory  in  his  country 
and  apphed  for  protection  from  the  post  at  Kafi- 
Kanghi. 

Ibrahim-Morad's  people  were  members  of  the  Kresh, 
Dongo,  Endogo  and  Banda-Uassa  tribes. 

The  Kresh  tribe  was  the  most  numerous  of  all,  and 
the  sultan  of  Ragga  perhaps  the  most  important  sul- 
tan in  the  Western  Bahr-el-Ghazal.  He  had  some  six 
thousand  men,  all  warriors  in  a  sort  of  way.  It  was 
hard  to  understand  why  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal  Government 
found  so  much  difficulty  in  obtaining  carriers  when  such 
a  rich  source  of  labour  could  be  tapped  with  no  diffi- 
culty. Transport  at  least  would  become  possible  in  that 
country.  This  is  only  one  out  of  many  sources  which 
could  be  exploited  in  the  Bahr-el-Ghazal,  as  the  Banda 
also  could,  I  think,  produce  a  practically  inexhaustible 
supply  of  men,  not  to  count  what  might  be  obtained 
from  minor  tribes. 

Types  of  the  different  tribesmen  are  given  in  illus- 
trations in  this  work.  Some,  it  will  be  noticed,  are 
powerfully-built  individuals,  who  may  some  day  be  useful 
not  only  as  carriers  but  as  fighting  material.  They 
show  great  fondness  for  soldiering,  and  although  not 
particularly  brave,  could  be  trained  well  enough  to  be  fair 
soldiers  for  local  needs. 

It  was  interesting  to  see,  not  only  what  numbers  of 
people  these  sultans  possessed,  but  also  to  observe  how 
many  rifles  and  guns  had  found  their  way  into  that 
country.  True  enough,  most  of  those  guns  were  more 
dangerous  to  the  people  who  carried  them  than  to  those 
who  are  likely  to  be  aimed  at,  but  many  excellent  rifles 
have  of  late,  I  believe,  been  smuggled  among  the  better 
people,  who  are  paying  enormous  quantities  of    ivory 


Jim*  ^'-* 


•<*^ 


..<'>4  -> 


I.— Aja. 


^-  Aja.  Aja. 

2.— Aja.         Banda.  Banda. 

3- — Kresh  and  Vango. 


Aja. 


ABLE-BODIED    MEN   AND    RIFLES  379 

to  obtain  good  weapons.  Surprises  may  be  forthcoming 
in  those  regions  some  day. 

I  have  before  me  figures  which  I  think  are  accurate 
enough,  and  which  show  the  number  of  able-bodied  men 
under  the  different  sultans,  and  the  number  of  guns 
possessed  by  each  sultan  : — 

Sultan  Nasr  Andel  possesses  380  able-bodied  men, 
with  200  good  Remington  and  Lebel  rifles. 

Sultan  Mousa-Hamed,  560  able-bodied  men,  18 
sheikhs  and  200  guns. 

Said-Bandas,  180  relations,  6  sheikhs,  and  145 
guns. 

Sultan  Mahommed-Merikki,  200  relations,  3  sheikhs, 
and  120  guns. 

Sultan  Yango,  whose  people  are  most  excellent 
workers  and  easily  manageable,  possesses  only  96  re- 
lations, about  100  able-bodied  men,  and  25  rifles. 

Sultan  Mousa-Kemdego,  of  the  Kresh  tribe,  has  6 
sheikhs,  120  able-bodied  men,  15  guns,  and  only  56 
relations. 

There  was  another  sultan.  Sultan  Ibrahim  Dardug, 
of  the  Dongawi  tribe,  but  he  was  extremely  trouble- 
some and  had  to  be  confined  for  life  in  the  prison  of 
El  Nahud. 

From  Dem  Zebir  alone  as  a  centre,  at  least  six  to 
seven  hundred  carriers  could  be  supplied,  and  the 
people,  I  think,  would  be  quite  willing,  even  glad,  to 
do  the  work.  In  fact,  they  look  upon  the  British  Govern- 
ment as  weak  for  not  making  them  work.  Ragga 
alone  could  easily  supply  400  men,  and  Yango  from  100 
to  150  men. 

We  do  not  find  among  these  people  the  same  marriage 
customs  of  purchasing  a  wife  by  handing  over  cattle. 


38o  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

for  the  simple  reason  that  these  people  possess  few 
animals.  When  marrying  a  girl,  a  man  must  supply 
the  girl's  father  with  another  woman  in  exchange.  If  the 
bridegroom  has  no  way  of  fulfilling  his  part  of  the  agree- 
ment, the  father  of  the  girl  takes  her  husband  to  live 
with  him  and  makes  him  work  like  a  servant.  If  this 
arrangement  does  not  answer — and  generally  some  diffi- 
culty is  experienced  in  making  it  run  smooth — the 
bride's  father  may  permit  the  wedding  but  will  become 
the  legal  proprietor  of  the  first-born  child. 

Since  the  British  Government  came  in  1903,  these 
picturesque  arrangements  have  to  a  certain  extent 
been  put  a  stop  to,  and  more  civilized,  as  well  as 
vulgarized,  v/eddings  have  been  enforced.  The  bride- 
groom must  pay  for  his  wife  so  many  rolls  of  calico. 
Fancy,  the  mere  idea  of  exchanging  a  wife  for  calico  ! 

The  Banda  had  similar  wedding  customs,  but  all 
other  tribes  to  the  north  generally  paid  cloth  and 
beads  in  order  to  obtain  a  life  partner. 

The  manners  and  customs  of  all  these  tribes  differ 
little  from  others  we  have  already  met. 

Art  and  music  are  unknown  to  them. 

Of  religion  they  know  but  little.  The  Kresh  believe 
in  three  deities  :  One  who  kills  men,  another  who  tries 
to  make  everybody  ill,  and  one  "  good  god "  who 
endeavours  to  heal  those  who  suffer.  In  the  centre  of 
every  village  a  big  tree  is  generally  to  be  observed,  and 
they  believe  that  the  "  good  god  "  hovers  unseen  under 
its  shade.  I  asked  a  Kresh  whether  it  was  the  same 
"  good  god  "  who  Uved  under  trees  of  all  villages  or 
whether  each  village  had  a  separate  god,  but  they  seemed 
puzzled,  almost  perplexed,  at  the  question.  They  had 
never  thought  of  it  before,  and  I  could  not  get  a  definite 


MARRIAGES    AND    BURIALS  381 

answer.  Most,  however,  were  partial  to  the  monopoly 
of  a  "  good  god  "  for  each  village. 

When  anybody  committed  a  fault  or  else  felt  in  bad 
health  it  was  usual  to  take  offerings  of  merissa  (liquor), 
beans  and  different  foods,  and  put  them  either  in  a 
hollow  in  the  tree  or  else  at  the  foot  as  offerings  for  the 
"good  god."  Soon  after,  however,  the  givers  returned 
and  drank  and  ate  everything  themselves. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  superstitions  the  tribes 
offered  few  features  of  general  interest.  Their  funeral 
ceremonies  were  extraordinarily  simple  ;  a  few  ulula- 
tions  and  moans,  and  the  dead  man  was  buried  with  his 
head  towards  the  east  or  the  west,  according  to  the  tribe 
to  which  he  belonged.  With  nearly  all  these  tribes,  the 
dead  man's  house  must  remain  empty  until  it  collapses. 
Other  tribes  clear  the  ground  round  the  grave  and  repair 
the  hut  of  the  deceased  in  order  to  preserve  it  ;  this 
especially  in  the  case  of  a  chief. 

In  their  marital  relations  the  Kresh  adopt  certain 
rules  which  are  interesting.  During  the  time  the  wife  is 
in  an  interesting  condition  no  sexual  intercourse  is  per- 
mitted, the  husband  and  wife  generally  living  apart. 
Girls  in  the  Kresh  country  can  marry  at  the  age  of  ten 
or  twelve.  They  are  then  fully  formed  and  developed 
quite  as  much  as  women  in  England  and  America  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  or  twenty.  Although  this  physical 
development  takes  place  at  an  early  age  few  women 
can  bear  children  until  they  are  about  fifteen.  The 
treatment  of  the  umbilical  cord  at  birth  of  a  child  is 
done  by  a  special  woman,  a  sort  of  midwife,  who  also 
attends  women  during  labour. 

In  case  of  unfaithfulness,  the  man  who  has  committed 
adultery  must  hand  over  a  slave  to  the  offended  husband, 


382  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

or  else  forty  malud,  or  forty  tukkya,  pieces  of  locally 
woven  cloth.  A  significant  notion  exists  among  Kresh 
that  if  this  payment  is  not  forthcoming  to  the  betrayed 
husband,  the  co-respondent  will  become  impotent  and 
also  will  have  ill-luck  in  anything  he  may  undertake  in 
the  future,  such  as  elephant-hunting  or  agricultural 
pursuits.  Were  this  not  sufficient  punishment,  his  hut 
will  be  destroyed  by  fire  or  blown  down  by  the  wind. 
Yes,  indeed,  the  revenge  of  the  Kresh  gods  will  come 
down  in  all  its  force  upon  unrepentant  adulterers  ! 

Ali  Effendi  Wahbi  told  me  a  curious  tale  of  an  ele- 
phant hunter  called  Barni  who  had  been  absent  during 
four  months.  His  wife  had  been  unfaithful  during  his 
absence.  The  offender  was  fined  forty  pieces  of  tukkya, 
which  he  at  once  paid.  On  leaving  Dem  Zebir,  Barni 
shot  elephant  successfully,  killing  five  elephants  in 
one  week,  this  success  being  put  down  altogether  to  the 
forty  pieces  of  cloth  received  in  compensation  for  his 
wife's  un virtuous  life. 

Virgins  in  the  Kresh  country  are  valued  in  marriage 
contracts  at  the  equivalent  of  £2  sterling ;  whereas 
ladies  somewhat  more  mature  do  not  fetch  more  than 
ten  shillings  or  so,  perhaps  ten-and-sixpence.  Heiresses 
are  known  to  have  cost  a  bridegroom  as  much  as  eighty 
shillings  and  the  daughter  of  a  sultan  from  five  hundred 
to  one  thousand  tukkya,  one  tukkya  being  worth  from 
three  to  five  piastres,  according  to  locality. 

In  connection  with  love  affairs,  one  finds  sometimes 
symbolical  figures  of  rudimentary  representations  of 
sexual  organs  carved  on  trees. 


383 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

As  photographs  are  reproduced  in  this  book  which  I 
took  of  the  various  types  in  the  Western  Bahr-el-Ghazal 
province,  it  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  go  into  a  long 
description  of  facial  characteristics.  A  few  remarks,  how- 
ever, on  the  more  notable  points  may  not  be  out  of  place. 

The  Ferogheh  possess  a  somewhat  more  developed 
nose  than  other  tribes,  aquiline  in  shape,  which  they 
must  have  acquired  from  intercourse  with  the  Arabs  ; 
and  comparatively  small  lips  turned  up  at  the  side  of 
the  mouth.  The  nostrils  have  a  peculiar  elongated 
opening  quite  high  upon  the  side  of  the  nose.  The  lobes 
of  the  ears  are,  as  in  most  of  these  tribes,  attached, 
and  the  entire  formation  of  the  skull  is  considerably 
elongated. 

The  Aja  have  short,  broad-oval  faces,  with  well- 
marked  muscular  ridges  somewhat  depressed  in  the 
frontal  and  occipital  regions.  Their  lips  are  extremely 
long  and  prominent.  Three  large  cicatrices  are  cut  upon 
each  cheek  and  three  upon  the  temples.  They  are  fond 
of  ornamenting  their  arms  and  chest  with  cicatrices  of 
the  leaf  pattern,  and  they  also  display  this  leaf  pattern 
radiating  in  four  different  directions  from  the  umbilicus. 
Two  crosses,  each  of  them  between  two  vertical  parallel 
lines,  show  on  the  fore-arm.  Sets  of  four  parallel  lines 
at   an   angle   ornament   each   breast,   and   two   vertical 


384  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

lines,  of  sets  of  three  cicatrices  each,  are  to  be  noticed 
along  the  centre  of  the  chest.  The  skull  taken  as  a  whole 
does  not  show  such  elongation  as  we  find  among  the 
Ferogheh,  and  the  brain-case,  or  calvaria,  is  fairly  well 
formed  and  balanced.  They  shave  the  head,  but  leave 
sufficient  hair  on  the  top,  which  they  then  tie  into  two 
or  three  small  tresses. 

The  Banda,  who,  in  many  ways,  have  similar  charac- 
teristics to  the  Niam-Niam  or  A-sandeh,  are  short 
people,  with  a  great  development  of  the  breasts.  Some 
men  had  prominent  breasts  almost  like  women.  They 
possessed  somewhat  flabby  arms  and  big  paunches,  and 
great  length  of  body  in  relation  to  the  legs,  which  were 
in  comparison  more  muscularly  formed.  The  great 
prominence  of  their  upper  jaw  gave  their  palate  an  elon- 
gated parabohc  form  like  the  letter  "  u,"  very  narrow  at 
the  curve,  whereas  the  Aja  have  an  elliptical  or  horseshoe 
shaped  palate,  much  broader  than  that  of  the  Banda 
and  not  so  long. 

The  Banda,  like  the  Niam-Niam,  have  ill-formed 
hands,  with  square-tipped  fingers  and  hardly  any  lines 
in  the  palm  except  the  four  principal  ones.  The  thumb 
is  extremely  short,  the  last  phalanx  mean  and  flattened. 
In  fact,  the  Banda  are  people  of  a  degenerate  order,  with 
no  great  brain  capacity  ;  people  who  will  eat  anything 
they  find,  no  matter  how  repulsive  and  disgusting. 

Their  ornamentations  take  the  ghape  of  cicatrices, 
which  are  made  in  a  rudimentary  manner ;  so  rudi- 
mentary that  it  is  difficult  to  define  accurately  what 
they  are  meant  to  represent.  In  other  tribes  one  finds 
a  certain  geometrical  regularity  and  precision  of  execu- 
tion in  these  ornamentations,  but  not  so  at  all  among 
the   Banda.     They  have   evidently   attempted   to   copy 


Nutiulijulch  tribe. 


Purugheh  tribe. 


THE    NOGOLGOLEH  385 

some  of  these  ornaments  from  the  Aja  and  the  Nogol- 
goleh.  They  attempt  to  reproduce  a  quadrangle  with 
a  cross  of  double  lines  inside  ;  also  they  make  rudimen- 
tary attempts  at  a  five-pointed  star  and  the  leaf  pattern. 

More  interesting  as  a  type  was  the  Nogolgolah,  which 
in  the  plural  becomes  Nogolgoleh.  They  had,  strange 
to  say,  several  characteristics  in  common  with  the  Mon- 
golian type.  One  could  trace  this  Mongolian  likeness  in 
many  of  the  tribes  right  across  Africa,  and  curiously 
enough  these  people  had  a  skin,  not  of  a  coal  black, 
but  rather  of  a  chocolate  colour,  with  some  yellowish 
tints  in  it.  Their  eyes  were  quite  as  slanting  as  those 
of  the  pure  Mongols,  with  the  outer  angles  considerably 
elevated,  compressed  and  pointed,  so  as  to  give  the  eye 
an  almond-shaped  appearance.  The  upper  lid  was  ex- 
tremely thick  and  overlapping,  so  that  the  lower  portion 
of  the  lid  was  entirely  hidden  when  the  eyes  were  open, 
and,  what  are  with  us  the  whites  being  of  a  sullen  bluish 
colour,  much  bloodshot,  the  whole  result  was  to  give 
these  people  a  brutal  expression.  The  skull  was  well 
rounded,  with  the  skin  tightly  stretched  upon  it,  the 
sutures  being  as  a  rule  widely  open,  especially  at  the 
temples.     The  face  had  a  slant  backward. 

These  people  always  wore  the  hair  made  up  into 
several  tresses  on  the  top  of  the  head,  of  which  tresses 
they  were  extraordinarily  proud.  Their  cicatrices  were 
more  elaborate  than  those  of  other  tribes,  and  were 
burnt  instead  of  being  cut  with  a  knife.  A  poison  was 
inserted  in  the  wound  in  order  to  raise  a  sweUing.  They 
possessed  many  cicatrices  on  the  arms,  usually  forming 
squares  enclosed  in  double  Hnes  and  sometimes  a  few 
on  the  chest.  On  the  cheeks  they  had  a  great  number 
of  small  vertical  cicatrices. 

VOL.  I.  25 


386  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

The  hands  of  these  people  were  somewhat  more  deU- 
cately  formed  than  those  of  the  Aja,  for  instance,  and 
on  a  very  different  level  from  those  of  the  Banda. 

The  Kresh  showed  a  great  bizygomatic  breadth,  with 
well-padded  zygomatic  arches.  The  tip  of  the  nose 
and  the  nostrils  were  broad  and  flattened,  so  elongated 
that  the  latter  were  parallel  to  the  angular  planes  of  the 
lips  instead  of  being  almost  vertical,  as  with  Europeans. 
The  head  was  elongated  upwards,  the  back  of  the  skull 
flattened  and  forming  almost  a  vertical  line  from  the 
top  of  the  skull  to  the  base  of  the  neck. 

Again  we  found  here  the  habit  of  removing  the  four 
incisor  teeth.  Occasionally  the  two  central  upper  teeth 
were  filed  each  into  a  sharp  point,  giving  a  ghastly  ex- 
pression to  the  face.  Four  vertical  and  three  horizontal 
cuts  on  each  cheek  were  usual  among  the  Kresh,  the 
four  vertical  cuts  being  each  of  two  parallel  lines.  Like 
the  Nogolgoleh,  they  wore  small  tresses  upon  the  head. 

The  Kresh-Nakka  were  not  unlike  the  other  Kresh, 
except  that  they  shaved  a  great  portion  of  the  hair  of 
the  head,  and  adorned  themselves  with  only  three  large 
cuts  on  each  cheek  and  three  cuts  on  each  temple.  On 
the  arms  they  had  adopted  a  four-pointed  star  in  double 
lines. 

I  visited  some  of  the  Kresh  villages.  The  chief,  as 
a  rule,  had  built  himself  a  square  mud  house,  with  no 
furniture,  if  we  except  the  few  pots  of  a  spherical  shape 
in  which  water  was  kept,  and  some  slabs  of  stone  or  of 
hardened  cement  for  grinding  grain,  which  we  found  in 
a  separate  hut  used  as  a  kitchen.  Holes  in  the  ground, 
coated  with  cement,  were  used  as  mortars.  Grain  was 
stored  in  cylindrical  baskets  on  piles,  numerous  in  their 
villages.     In  the  chief's  house  I  noticed  a  double  bed, 


THE   YANGO  387 

made  of  hard  polished  cement,  with  a  depression  in  the 
centre  in  which  the  people  slept. 

On  coming  from  Wau  to  Dem  Zebir  I  had  noticed 
that  natives  had  placed  round  stones  in  the  forks  of 
trees.  This  was  done  by  native  travellers  as  a  prayer 
to  the  sun,  in  order  to  obtain  sufficient  daylight  so  as 
to  arrive  where  water  could  be  found  before  night  came. 
The  carvings  of  rude  figures  upon  trees,  or  the  placing 
of  large  straw  figures  along  the  trail,  generally  indicated 
that  a  native  traveller  had  been  taken  ill,  and  was 
under  the  belief  that  death  was  approaching.  His  idea 
in  carving  the  figures  was  that  passing  friends  who 
might  see  them  would  remember  him  in  the  future. 
When  carved  these  figures  were  very  rudimentary, 
merely  a  straight  line  with  two  lines  at  an  angle  for 
arms  and  two  for  legs.  In  love  affairs,  as  I  have  said 
elsewhere,  these  figures  play  an  important  part. 

The  Yango  houses  possess  circular  mud  walls  five  feet 
high.  In  the  centre  of  the  hut  is  a  shelf  six  feet  high, 
upon  which  baskets  full  of  grain  are  placed.  Under- 
neath is  a  raised  circular  slab  of  hardened  mud,  with 
four  holes  into  which  the  grain  is  poured  from  the 
upper  shelf  and  subsequently  ground.  More  baskets 
hang  from  the  roof  all  round.  Wooden  beds  are  generally 
made  by  these  people,  with  the  upper  portion  only 
plastered  over  with  hardened  mud  beaten  down  with 
sticks  while  soft. 

These  people  make  nice-looking  bowls  with  half  a 
gourd,  and  on  them  are  to  be  noticed  square  ornamenta- 
tions, black  and  white  like  a  chess-board. 

Women  suckle  newly-born  children  lying  flat  on  their 
backs. 

The  chief's  house  in  a  Yango  village  that  I  visited 
VOL.  I,  25* 


388  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

was  raised  on  piles  five  feet  high,  and  it  had  a  conical 
thatched  roof.  The  sultan's  wife  seemed  scared  when 
I  suddenly  appeared.  She  was  nursing  a  fat  child 
smothered  all  over  in  red  and  blue  beads,  especially  on 
the  right  side  of  the  head,  upon  the  temples  and  back 
of  the  head.  She  herself  had  a  huge  red  bead  stuck  in 
the  left  nostril.  Her  hair  was  plastered  down  in  tiny 
tresses  soaked  in  oil,  and  ending  in  little  bullets  of  dirt 
and  green  vegetable  oil. 

The  cicatrices  in  the  Yango  took  the  form  of  the  wave 
pattern  around  the  neck,  with  three  vertical  cuts  on  the 
temples  and  three  horizontal  slashes  on  each  cheek. 
Vertical  cuts  were  noticeable  under  the  knees,  with  five 
or  six  lines  of  the  wave  pattern  underneath. 

At  death  the  Kresh  were  buried  under  one  of  the 
dhura  store-houses,  which  they  abandoned,  with  its  con- 
tents. The  dead  man's  house  was  closed  and  nobody 
was  allowed  to  go  into  it.  It  was  then  eventually 
destroyed.  When  a  man  died  he  was  buried  with  his 
head  towards  the  west,  while  the  Kresh  women  were  laid 
down  with  the  head  towards  the  east. 

At  various  points  west  of  Wau  and  in  the  forest  I 
came  across  a  number  of  stray  Niam-Niam.  Their 
country  lies  to  the  south  of  the  Bellanda  and  Bongo 
countries.  In  fact,  in  some  settlements  of  Niam-Niam, 
we  find  mixed  with  them  a  few  Bellanda. 

Although  these  people  are  called  dwarfs,  I  did  not 
find  them  so  extraordinarily  small.  They  were  not  tall 
certainly,  the  tallest  I  saw  being  some  five  feet  four 
inches.  Most  adults,  I  should  say,  were  about  or  over 
five  feet  in  height. 

The  skin  of  the  Niam-Niam  was  of  a  deep  chocolate 
colour,   and   the   hair   of   the   usual   negrito   type   pre- 


THE    A-SANDEH  389 

senting  a  woolly,  poodle-like  appearance.  Their  bodies 
were  long  in  comparison  with  the  limbs,  particularly  with 
the  legs,  and  they  possessed  big  paunches  and  chests, 
so  developed  that  in  many  of  the  men  the  upper  portion 
of  the  anatomy  appeared  at  first  sight  quite  feminine. 
We  have  already  met  other  tribes  with  similar  charac- 
teristics. Although  this  development  made  them  appear 
stoutly  built  they  possessed  comparatively  little  strength, 
in  the  arms  particularh^  The  short  legs,  which  were 
thinner  and  more  sinewy,  showed  slightly  more  power, 
but  physically  these  people  were  in  no  way  to  be  com- 
pared either  with  the  tribes  further  north-east  or  with 
many  of  the  tribes  to  the  west  ;  a  number  of  tribes, 
however,  in  their  immediate  neighbourhood  in  the  forest, 
the  Kare,  for  instance,  whom  we  shall  meet  later  on, 
closely  resembled  them  in  their  physical  and  moral 
weakness. 

The  almond-shaped  eyes,  set  at  a  slant,  like  Mon- 
golian eyes,  were  wide  apart  upon  their  broad  skulls, 
quite  a  fleur  de  tcHe,  and  almost  bovine  in  character, 
with  extraordinarily  heavy  overlapping  brows.  The 
eyeball  was  of  a  sallow  yellowish  tint,  bloodshot  ; 
the  iris  deep  brown,  with  velvety-black  pupils,  widely 
dilated  in  the  green  light  of  the  forest,  the  upper  portion 
of  the  iris  much  discoloured — in  fact,  in  many  cases 
quite  obliterated. 

The  nose  of  the  A-sandeh  was  square  and  flat,  the 
lips  heavy  and  drooping,  the  cheeks  well  padded,  and 
the  chin  somewhat  receding  but  fairly  broad  and  well 
rounded.  They  filed  the  front  teeth  into  a  point,  and 
this  gave  a  fierce  expression  to  their  countenances. 

The  head,  which  seemed  large  and  heavy  in  propor- 
tion to  the  height  of  the  individuals,  was  rounded  and 


390  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

wide,  but  coarsely  formed  and  of  a  low  type.  To  me  it 
appeared  as  if  this  primitive  race  had  been  subjected  to 
a  long  period  of  mental  degeneration,  whether  through 
disease  of  the  blood  or  other  causes.  Their  blood  was 
in  a  putrid  condition,  and  to  this  rather  than  to  the 
stings  of  the  semi-mythical  tze-tze  might  be  attributed, 
I  think,  the  prevalence  of  the  sleeping  sickness,  from 
which  they  seem  to  be  the  chief  sufferers. 

I  saw  many  cases  of  the  sleeping  sickness  in  that 
region  and  further  west,  and,  as  far  as  I  could  judge, 
it  was  nothing  more  and  nothing  less  than  a  complaint 
of  the  spinal  vertebrae,  producing  severe  effects  mainly 
upon  the  cerebellum  and,  owing  to  the  exhausted  con- 
dition of  the  patients'  blood,  causing  the  intense  drowsi- 
ness and  exhaustion  from  which  the  sufferers  generally 
never  woke  up.  I  think  that  the  stings  of  the  tze-tze, 
or  whatever  fly  is  put  down  as  being  the  tze-tze,  have 
little  to  do  with  sleeping  sickness.  In  my  journey  across 
Africa  I  have  received  at  least  twenty  descriptions  of 
what  the  tze-tze  is  like,  and  I  think  that  every  kind  of 
horse-fly,  elephant-fly,  etc.,  has,  either  by  traders  or 
visitors,  been  set  down  as  a  tze-tze  at  one  time  or  another. 
The  death  of  one's  animals,  which  is  always  attributed 
to  the  tze-tze,  is  in  most  cases  caused  by  deadly  germs 
eaten  in  grazing  or  imbibed  in  the  water  of  streams,  or 
by  poisonous  plants  in  the  grass.  An  innocent  fly  may 
then  settle  on  the  animal,  and  the  animal's  death  is 
attributed  by  scientists  to  the  fly.  That  is  one  way  of 
reasoning,  but  the  more  I  see  of  flies  and  mosquitoes — 
and  few  people  have  known  more  mosquitoes  and  flies  of 
all  kinds  than  I  have — the  less  that  theory  seems  correct 
to  me. 

I  lost  many  animals  by  sudden  death  in  my  journey 


THE   SLEEPING   SICKNESS  391 

across  Africa,  but  I  could  not  trace  stings  of  flies  of  any 
unusual  character  about  them.  Men  and  beasts  re- 
ceived dozens  of  stings  daily  from  the  troublesome  huge 
horse  and  elephant  flies.  I  always  noticed  that  when- 
ever my  animals  were  taken  ill  their  stomachs  quickly 
swelled  to  an  immense  size,  which  proved,  at  any  rate 
to  me,  that  the  evil  was  inside  and  not  outside.  Vomit 
and  copious  salivation  of  a  slimy  yellowish  colour 
generally  preceded  death,  and  so  did  convulsive  con- 
tractions of  the  limbs,  lips  and  ears. 

Several  of  my  donkeys  died  in  this  fashion  in  our 
march  across  the  forest  to  the  Mbomu,  two  of  them  at 
a  point  of  the  journey  where  we  met  no  elephant  or 
horse  flies,  and  certainly  no  supposititious  tze-tze.  The 
donkeys  seemed  in  excellent  health  and  spirits.  They 
were  let  loose  to  graze.  They  brayed  violently,  lay 
down,  and  the  body  swelled  quickly  to  one-third  more 
than  its  usual  circumference.  In  a  couple  of  hours  they 
were  dead.  Another  I  lost  which  seemed  attacked  by 
violent  pain  after  drinking  water  from  a  streamlet  filled 
with  vegetation. 

But  leaving  for  a  while  the  "  tze-tze  "  and  sleeping 
sickness  alone,  let  us  return  to  the  Niam-Niam.  By  the 
way,  as  I  am  bent  on  finding  fault,  let  me  tell  you  that 
this  is  another  mistake,  for  they  call  themselves  A-sandeh 
and  not  Niam-Niam,  the  latter  being  merely  a  disparag- 
ing name  applied  to  them  by  others  in  imitation  of  the 
smacking  of  lips  in  their  cannibalistic  feasts.  Sandeh 
means  "  under,"  and  some  people  believe  it  to  mean 
"  under  the  forest,"  but  I  think  it  is  more  truly  to  be 
interpreted  as  meaning  "keeping  under"  or  "in  sub- 
jection." In  fact,  we  shall  soon  come  in  contact  with 
a    ruling    race    called    the    Sandes    or    Zandes,    further 


392  ACROSS   WIDEST    AFRICA 

west  of  this  region,  who  perhaps  are  related  to  the 
A-sandeh. 

Although  rounded,  the  skull  of  the  A-sandeh  was  ill- 
proportioned  when  seen  in  profile,  being  much  elongated 
and  slanting,  absolutely  devoid  of  intelligence  or  mental 
balance.  Treachery  and  meanness  and  a  craving  to 
possess  were  the  predominant  features  of  the  specimens 
I  met,  although  on  several  occasions  they  astonished  me 
with  their  ruses  in  endeavouring  to  obtain  what  they 
wanted.  Maybe  other  people  have  found  good  qualities 
in  these  people.  I  did  not.  They  were  invariably  un- 
scrupulous, contemptible  rascals,  whom  one  felt  a  great 
desire  to  strangle  every  time  one  had  dealings  with  them. 
Liars  they  were  to  a  most  tantalizing  extent,  even  when 
it  would  pay  them  to  be  truthful ;  thieves,  traitors,  filthy 
in  their  food — they  would  eat  any  animal  raw  in  the 
most  advanced  state  of  putrefaction  and  enjoy  it  ! 
They  would  do  the  same  with  human  beings  when  they 
had  a  chance.  Really,  I  could  not  be  attracted  by  these 
people.  Dogs  were  relished  as  food  by  them,  and  they 
kept  a  breed  of  small,  short-haired,  curly-tailed,  fat- 
paunched  animals  of  a  yellowish  colour,  which,  after 
having  been  loved  as  pets,  were  generally  eaten. 

It  is  said  that  the  A-sandeh  are  faithful  to  their  wives, 
and  that  they  will  make  any  sacrifice — even  to  the  loss 
of  their  lives — in  trying  to  recover  them  when  seized  in 
raids  by  slave  traders.  That  is  surely  a  good  quality, 
but  perhaps  the  intrinsic  commercial  value  of  his  better 
half  is  more  to  the  A-sandeh  than  his  personal  devotion 
or  affection  for  her. 

Their  marriage  and  burial  ceremonies  resemble  those 
of  the  Bongo.     Polygamy  is  practised. 

The  vanity  of  these  ugly  people  is  incredible.     Entire 


THROWING-KNIVES  393 

days  are  spent  by  the  men  in  arranging  the  hair  in  plaits 
and  tufts,  over  which  they  wear  elaborate  hats,  but  the 
women's  coiffures  are  somewhat  simpler. 

Similar  cicatrice  ornamentations  to  those  we  have 
found  among  the  Kresh  and  the  Banda,  such  as  crosses 
under  the  breasts,  squares  filled  in  with  lines  and  the 
consecutive  angular  pattern  or  parallel  lines  at  the 
waist,  are  to  be  observed  among  the  A-sandeh. 

So  many  descriptions  of  these  people  have  of 
late  been  given  that  I  need  not  repeat  what  has  been 
said. 

Portions  of  their  country  further  east  can  easily  be 
reached  by  the  Nile  steamers  from  Khartoum. 

They  use  a  great  variety  of  knives  which  they  pur- 
chase from  more  skilful  neighbouring  tribes  of  black- 
smiths. They  are  adepts  at  flinging  thro  wing-knives, 
which  we  shall  find  of  various  shapes  among  most  of 
the  tribes  west  along  the  river  Ubanghi,  and  even  upon 
the  Shari  river,  which  flows  into  Lake  Tchad,  but  I 
never  met  any  of  these  throwing  blades  upon  Lake 
Tchad  itself.  They  are  generally  on  the  boomerang 
principle,  the  blades,  which  are  of  a  more  or  less  orna- 
mental character,  being  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 
Additional  minor  blades  project  frequently  near  the 
handle  and  where  the  point  of  the  angle  is  formed  by 
the  principal  blade,  as  well  as  in  the  interior  portion  of 
the  angle.  These  weapons  can  be  hurled  with  great 
force  and  produce  terrific  gashes.  Many  of  the  tribes 
carry  two  or  three  of  these  throwing-knives  fastened  to 
the  inside  of  their  shields,  and  they  show  great  skill  in 
hopping  over  the  flying  blades  when  flung  at  them, 
or  avoiding  them  to  right  or  left,  under  the  protection  of 
their  shields  made  of  hide  or  closely-woven  fibre.     The 


394  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

blades  of  each  tribe  are  of  a  different  shape  and  easily 
recognizable  by  experts. 

Unlike  their  neighbours  on  the  east,  the  A-sandeh 
possess  no  cattle.  They  have  a  few  chickens.  They  are 
agriculturists  to  a  certain  extent.  Good  and  evil  omens 
and  the  evil  eye  find  a  ready  belief  in  the  A-sandeh 
country.  Many  detailed  descriptions  of  these  have 
already  been  given,  and  also  of  their  cannibalistic  feasts, 
for  which  they  are  world-renowned.  The  collection  of 
skulls  near  the  dwellings  are  sufficient  proof  of  the  desire 
they  have  for  human  flesh.  They  eat,  of  course,  mostly 
their  enemies,  but  dying  friends  unclaimed  by  their 
relatives  may  provide  a  good  meal  at  a  pinch.  A  lonely 
stranger  dying  of  fever  or  wounds  in  their  country 
would,  I  think,  even  to  this  day,  supply  them  with  a 
palatable  dish,  disease  or  putrefaction  being  no  bar  at 
all  to  their  craving  for  human  delicacies. 

Perhaps  a  few  of  the  less-known  characteristics  of 
their  language  may  be  of  interest. 

There  are  such  curious  and  indisputably  well-defined 
peculiarities  in  their  language  as  lead  one  to  repeat  that 
these  people  must  have  degenerated  from  a  higher 
standard  of  mental  ability.  However,  of  course,  these 
peculiarities  might  be  merely  accidental.  Whether  acci- 
dental or  not,  we  find  in  the  A-sandeh  tongue  examples 
of  deep  philosophy  which  are  not  to  be  found  in  more 
complete  languages,  such  as  Italian,  French,  German, 
Spanish,  Portuguese  or  English.  For  instance,  in  order 
to  explain  that  some  inanimate  object  belongs  to  him, 
such  as  a  hut  {-kuorau),  a  spear  (-basso)  ....  the 
A-sandeh  would  use  the  pronoun  corresponding  to 
"  my  "  in  English — "  my  hut,  my  spear,"  etc.  ;  but  in 
describing  a  part  of  himself  or  talking  of  people  of  his 


THE   LANGUAGE   OF   THE   DWARFS  395 

own  bloody  he  will  never  say,  "  My  father,  my  mother, 
my  eye,  my  leg,  my  hand,"  but  will  say,  "  I  father,  I 
mother,  I  leg,  I  hand,"  etc.,  to  denote  that  those  people 
of  his  own  blood  and  flesh,  as  well  as  any  part  of  his  own 
anatomy,  are  more  than  mere  possessions.  They  form 
part  of  himself.  This  is  generally  done  by  the  suffixes 
"  sse"  or  "re"  or  "  mi  "  after  the  noun.  My  father, 
Ba-mi  ;  my  friend,  Badia-re  ;  my  eye,  Bengli-sse. 

We  do  not  find  the  same  accurate  philosophy  in 
many  other  A-sandeh  expressions,  although  some 
descriptiveness  is  generally  noticeable  in  many  of  their 
words,  and  is  usually  borrowed  from  meteorological 
phenomena  or  from  the  botanical  world.  Beard,  for 
instance,  mainguengoua,  is  nothing  less  when  translated 
literally  than  "  rain  from  the  chin." 

The  ]idj\d,ppe'he,  is  the  "leaf  of  the  arm"  {pfe^ 
leaf;  he,  arm).  A  linger  nail,  sissi  ouil  insaga  (sissi, 
bark;  ouil  insaga,  finger),  means  literally  the  "bark  of 
one's  finger."  The  foot,  ppe'  ndoue,  is  the  "leaf  of  the 
leg."  Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  of  all  is  the  word 
de'goude,  meaning  girl,  but  which  translated  literally 
means  :  de,  woman  ;  goude,  boy,  or  a  "  woman  boy," 

They  are  almost  as  immoderate  as  we  are  in  speaking 
of  their  sensations,  nothing  short  of  death  being  suffi- 
cient to  describe  love  or  drunkenness.  Kpi  na  gnamoUy 
"  to  die  of  love."     Kpi  na  boda,  "  to  die  of  beer." 

Astronomy  is  perhaps  not  the  strongest  point  of  the 
A-sandeh.  The  stars,  in  their  language,  care  courou, 
are  the  "  enemies  of  the  sun  "  (care,  enemy). 

Numerals  are  counted,  as  usual  with  almost  all 
African  tribes,  with  the  aid  of  the  fingers  up  to  five  : 
ssa,  one  ;  ioue,  two  ;  biaHa,  three  ;  biama,  four  ;  bissoue, 
five;  six,  bati  ssa,  being  "  give  one  from  the  other  hand"  ; 


396  ACROSS   WIDEST   AFRICA 

seven,  hati  iom,  "  give  two  from  the  other  hand/'  and 
so  on.  The  fingers  of  the  hand  being  exhausted,  the  feet 
come  to  the  assistance.  Therefore,  eleven  is  haHi 
sande'yo  ssa,  or  "  give  one  from  the  ground  "  (meaning, 
of  course,  the  foot).  Sixteen  is  cohain  ssa,  or  "  one  from 
the  other  side  "  (the  other  foot).  Beyond  twenty,  the 
fingers  and  toes  of  one's  neighbours  are  required,  forty- 
one  being  "two  men  and  one  finger";  sixty-tw- , 
"  three  men  and  two  fingers,"  etc. 


END    OF    VOL.    I. 


Printed  at  The  Chapel  River  Press  y  Kingston,  Surrey. 


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